For sale: The Boathouse at Newmillerdam on the market following family cancer diagnosis

Fran McKnight, who owns the cafe, events and wedding venue, with husband Simon, said everything has had to be ‘put on hold’ after their 17-year-old daughter Nelly was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in February this year.

Undergoing treatment and long stays at Leeds Children’s Hospital, Fran said Nelly, who turns 18 in three weeks, is doing ‘as well as she can’ and is ‘shocking doctors with just how well’.

"She has good days and bad days – she has home stays then goes back into hospital,” Fran said.

“We were always going to see The Boathouse at some point and we’ve been trying to keep it up, but now everything has been put on hold.

“The girls who work there are incredible and we’ve loved working there, but we’re really desperate for a sale. We need to be there for Nelly.”

The shock diagnosis came after Fran became unwell with mumps during a family trip with Simon, Nelly and their 14-year-old son, Lowe, to France.

”We came home early as I was really unwell.

“Shortly after, Nelly’s glands became swollen, but we just put it down to her being unwell too. She had a bump in her collar bone that just didn’t go away.

"The bump grew and she was getting night sweats and was always tired.”

Following blood tests and a biopsy, Nelly was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer that affects the white blood cells that help you fight infection.

“Nelly is the kindest girl you could ever wish to meet,” Fran said.

"We’ve never had any trouble with her – she’s such a sensible kid.

"Before her diagnosis, she’d say she just wants to be kind so the world might be kind to her – she really is the best kind of person.

“She had just bought her own car and was planning her 18th birthday celebrations – all have had to be put on hold.”

Fran and Simon bought the Newmillerdam building six years ago and have built it up to be the thriving and popular events space it is today.

“It’s a difficult sale – we built it up from scratch, from the heart.

"It’s staff-run, but it deserves an owner who can oversee everything. It deserves to go to the right people who are going to love it the way we, and others, love it.

"It’s a community place and a massively successful business with its people being the heart and soul of it.

"Someone with events planning would be a bonus. Someone with a passion for the business.”

The Boathouse has stopped taking further booking for weddings, but are still open for parties, birthdays and baby showers.

It is described as ‘a charming and characterful waterside setting’ and ‘well known not only as a popular eatery and destination coffee house but also as an events venue and historical visitors attraction’.

Situated in the picturesque setting of Newmillerdam, it benefits from a beautiful position surrounded by Newmillerdam Lake, woodland and scenic walks that attracts a high volume of visitors throughout the year.

For more information or to express your interest in The Boathouse, email Fran at [email protected]