40 jobs to be created at Shropshire's Hawkstone Hall under plans to turn it into luxury hotel

Hawkstone Hall will be turned into a 30 to 40-bed hotel.

The property, which lies near Wem, was originally for sale in 2012 for £5 million, but had dropped its asking price to £3m to secure a buyer.

Agents have previously said there has been strong interest from potential buyers, including some from outside the UK, including America.

Now it has been bought by Martin Hirst and Hannah Petrouis, who are business partners in WH Hospitality and own Weston Hall in Staffordshire and the Saracen's Head, a gastro pub in Weston.

Mr Hirst said: "We are very proud to be playing a part in the history of such a magnificent Grade I listed building and are looking forward to a very exciting future.

"It is a gorgeous building and is in beautiful surroundings.

"A lot of our plans are pending planning permission and depend on change of use, but we want to turn it into a hotel featuring about 30 to 40 rooms. There are various reports to do and we have left a lot with our advisers. We anticipate creating a minimum of 20 to 40 new jobs. We are very excited about the future."

The pair become only the fourth owners of the hall in its 550-year history, following the original Hill family who built the hall, Liberal politician George Whitely and the Roman Catholic Redemptorist Order.

The home currently boasts , a ballroom, two cottages and has seen visitors including the Duke of Wellington and writer Samuel Johnson.

Sitting in 88 acres, the Georgian mansion was built in about 1700 and has a Venetian saloon, numerous reception rooms and 14 bedrooms.

The bedroom count is boosted to 64 when you take into account the 50 single rooms, built in 1962 by the Redemptorists.

The north wing contains two offices and a library, along with a small gymnasium in the basement, while the south wing contains a 'winter garden', a TV room at a lower level and the 'Academy' above.