22 Jul 2025
Oakman Inns, the company behind the ambitious redevelopment of iconic nightspot Batchwood Hall, has gone into administration.
The firm was supposed to be giving the venue a new lease of life as an upmarket restaurant, bar and hotel.
Owners St Albans district council agreed a long-term lease with parent company The Oakman Group for its redevelopment, including a multi-million pound investment into refurbishing the building, which has lain empty since the pandemic.
But Oakman called in the administrators on Monday following several weeks of speculation regarding the firm’s future, and the same day it was announced that the company had sold 14 pubs to Upman Inns, including The Beech House in St Peter’s Street, St Albans.
Both Oakman and SADC have been approached for comment.
