UK: Hawkstone Hall, a Grade-I listed 18th century mansion near Hodnet in Shropshire, has opened for the first time as a hotel, following an extensive renovation.
The building, set in 88 acres of gardens, has been restored over a two-year period is now open as a hotel for the first time in its history.
The property is owned by The Distinctly Hospitable Group, which also owns Weston Hall, a wedding and events venue and The Saracen’s Head gastro-pub, both in Weston, Staffordshire. It was originally built as a family home and was acquired after by the Roman Catholic Redemptorist Order in 1926 and, until 1973, was a seminary.
The Order added a chapel in 1932 and further extended the Hall in 1962, converting the north-east service wing into a residential wing. The seminary relocated in 1973, and from 1975 until 2017 the Hall was a pastoral and renewal centre.
The hotel has a total of 37 guest rooms across the main hall, where there are 12 suites, all named after British artists, writers, poets and playwrights; and the orangery wing, which has undergone a complete refurbishment and features 25 guest rooms.
The main building also features a ballroom, saloon, refectory, library, tapestry room and winter garden. The hotel’s restaurant will open on June 5. The grounds include a rose garden, croquet lawn, apple orchard and cemetery, as well as a walled garden and river with a stone bridge.
Hannah Petrouis, Distinctly Hospitable Group development director, said: “Hawkstone Hall and Gardens is one of only two Grade-I listed buildings in Shropshire. After two years of renovations, the property has been restored to its former glory and we are looking forward to welcoming guests. It has been a major project and we have thoroughly enjoyed uncovering some of the lost and hidden features of the building and splendid gardens.”
