Arthur Johnson and Sons Auctioneers has had its future in the city’s iconic Nottingham Cattle Market secured after a new lease was negotiated by leading commercial property agent
Innes England and law firm Knights.
The auctioneer business, which was founded in 1888, welcomes thousands of people each weekend looking through an array of antiques, vintage furniture and collectables at its location on Meadow Lane.
For more than 100 years, the company has been synonymous with the Cattle Market and its famous bulls’ heads on the impressive wrought iron gates.
Now, thanks to extensive negotiations by Nottingham’s Innes England and the law firm Knights, a new pair of protected leases with improved terms has been agreed, essentially securing Arthur Johnson and Sons’ headquarters for the foreseeable future.
Steve Holland, director of professional services at Innes England, who conducted the negotiations, said: “There has been uncertainty around the future of the Cattle Market for almost 20 years. Now, following a lengthy and challenging process or negotiation,
we have now come to an agreement that will benefit Arthur Johnson and Sons for years to come.
“The longer these negotiations continued, the more precarious the auctioneers’ position became, and so it’s immensely satisfying to have reached a positive conclusion, securing the premises for the company’s operation for the foreseeable future.
“The firm and its location at the Cattle Market are an iconic and famous part of Nottingham, and so for me it’s particularly gratifying to have played a part in continuing the legacy they have created there.”
Phil Poyser, of Arthur Johnson and Sons, said: “We’re immensely grateful to Innes England and Knights for their help – without them we would have risked losing our base in the Cattle Market, where we have been for more than a century. While we would have continued elsewhere, it would have been a sad day for the company and all its customers.
“Now, with our home secured we can open a new chapter and look ahead to the future. We’ll begin by making changes and improvements that have been a long time in the making, which we’ll share with our customers in the coming months.”
Arthur Johnson and Sons originally sold livestock from the Cattle Market before adding antiques to its offering in 1979. The company chose to move solely into the antiques and contemporary sector in 1992 after the last livestock were sold. Interested buyers
can visit the market every Saturday to take part in the auctions or can make purchases online via its website.
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