An £8m deal is close to being signed for the sale of St Mary’s School near Shaftesbury.

The school went bust this summer and a deadline of October 22 was set for offers on the freehold buildings and 55 acres. Around dozen parties showed an interest. But it is believed there is now only one party in detailed talks – and one of the names in the frame is David Beckham.

The suggestion is that he wants to open a sports college, a former school employee told The New Blackmore Vale. He said the star is attracted by the school’s 25m pool, 18 tennis courts, sports hall and pitches. The footballer is no stranger to the area. One of his great pals is filmmaker Guy Ritchie, who lives at Ashcombe House near Tollard Royal, a 10-minute drive away. Beckham was a guest at his wedding there, and has visited on game shoots. The pair also co-own two pubs in London.

Another early contender for St Mary’s is said to have been another school that has outgrown its premises and wanted to expand. Such a buyer would not need planning permissions.

St Mary’s was put on the market in September with a guide price of £7.5-£9m. The estate agent handling the sale, Savills, has consistently refused to comment, citing a strict confidentiality clause in ongoing negotiations. Beckham’s commercial director Ross Connolly also claimed not to have any knowledge of the deal.

But it is believed that a deal could possibly be signed before Christmas, or early in the new year, with only one party still involved in talks. There is a closed Facebook group of former St Mary’s teachers and staff, and one member said this week: “We think there will be news in the next week or two but everyone is keeping their cards very close to their chest.”

Support Us

Thank you all so, so much for the love and appreciation you’ve shown us since we launched the New Blackmore Vale.

Please show your support and add a review on our Facebook page or on Google.