HAWKESBURY HERO LIONHEART LUKE PARTS WITH CLARENDON

Luke ‘Lionheart’ Ainscough has sold his regional landmark in Sydney’s burgeoning northwest to the up-and-coming Endeavour, as the region dries out from subsiding floodwaters.

The Clarendon resides on a 1,959sqm lot on Hawkesbury Valley Way – the main arterial road linking Windsor and Richmond. It provides the local catchment a big public bar, bistro, gaming room with 12 machines, beer garden with covered area, big kids’ play area, function area on the upper level, the HotRok Bar & Grill and Clarendon Barbershop.

It was listed for sale in February, boasting a recent renovation, on behalf of ongoing local pillar, Luke Ainscough.

Ainscough has found himself in the spotlight over the last fortnight following his heroic deeds during the recent floods in the Hawkesbury region. A qualified pilot that operates his own helicopter, he has been criss-crossing the Nepean River delivering much-needed food, water and medical supplies to stranded locals, helping many people, animals and property and even helping get a stranded bride to her wedding.

This happened as the Clarendon stood between the flooded towns of Windsor and Richmond, and even as the sale process took place Ainscough held faith his efforts were in the right place – earning him the moniker ‘Lionheart Luke’.

“People out here have had their homes, businesses and livelihoods destroyed. They’ve been suffering with no food, water, blankets or medical supplies,” he explains.

“I’ve been a Hawkesbury boy all of my life, and whilst this was a one in one-hundred-year flood, I’ve seen a few over my lifetime and as such was always confident the Clarendon Tavern wouldn’t go under.”

After buying the Clarendon mid-2018, Ainscough went again in 2020 with purchase of Windsor’s The Fitzroy. Seeing his first venue thriving, reporting annual revenue north of $3.5m, he listed it to focus on other ventures.

The proud new owner is Mark Kennedy’s Endeavour Hotels, backing up his acquisition of Newtown’s Coopers Hotel for $13.5m in late 2018.

Kennedy offers he is keen to build on the foundations laid by Ainscough, including utilising the new 2am licence approval.

“I’m looking forward to becoming a part of the Hawkesbury community, and can’t wait to meet our staff and local patrons alike.

“I am sure I will learn a lot from their local knowledge and am excited to work with them to make the Clarendon Tavern one of the leading pubs in the district,” declared incoming owner Mark Kennedy.

The transaction was negotiated by HTL Property’s Sam Handy and Blake Edwards, who could not reveal the price but said it was consistent with guidance, said to be around $9m when the pub came to market.

This makes the sixth sale in the region through HTL in the past 18 months, including Richmond’s Royal to Peter Wynne, Richmond’s RGs to Ashton Waugh, and De Angelis’ Bligh Park Tavern, and agents say it was a competitive on-market process generating under-bidders still looking to get into the area.

“We’re currently holding conversations with several qualified buyers seeking similar style assets,” says Handy.