Sidney Sussex pays £9m for Cambridge building where Hendrix, The Who and Pink Floyd once starred

The building, which totals 38,525 sq ft, is currently occupied by Waterstones Books and Vinyl Nightclub with frontage to both Sidney Street and Hobson Street and adjacent to Hobsons Passage. It was bought freehold, subject to the two leases.

Sidney Street is one of Cambridge’s most iconic shopping destinations and provides a comprehensive mix of retail tenants including Marks & Spencer, Boots, Urban Outfitters, Lloyds Bank and Next.

This particular building once provided a stage for rock stars like Pink Floyd, Jim Hendrix and The Who, as Edward Dodson, Director at Cheffins, who advised Sidney Sussex College on the purchase, explains.

“This was a substantial purchase for the College. 20-22 Sidney Street is a landmark Cambridge building which, before becoming a major bookstore, was previously home to ‘The Dorothy,’ a famous tea room, dance hall and music venue which hosted the likes of Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, and The Who amongst others.

“This purchase abuts the existing College estate, which includes properties on Sidney Street, Sussex Street, King Street and Hobson Street.”

Martin Pierce, Bursar of Sidney Sussex College comments: “We are delighted to acquire this prestigious site, which is a natural extension to our portfolio of retail commercial property in Cambridge. We look forward to working with Cheffins and both Waterstones and Vinyl going forward.”

Darren Hill, Director at Cheffins, who manages the Sidney Sussex portfolio, added: “This is a significant addition to the Sidney Sussex commercial portfolio and widens the range of tenants within the estate. The acquisition of 20-22 Sidney Street was an exciting project to be involved in and we are looking forward to working with the occupants and bringing them under the Sidney umbrella.”