New life for Hawkstone Hall mansion and gardens

Hawkstone Hall, at Weston, near Shrewsbury, has been extensively renovated and the 18th century Georgian mansion has been restored to its former glory.

For the first time in its history it has become a luxurious hotel and is owned by The Distinctly Hospitable Group.

The 37-bedroom hotel stands in acres of manicured lawns and within its grounds there is a rose garden, croquet lawn, apple orchard, ancient cemetery, original 18th century lily pond, walled garden, river with a stone bridge, forested areas, over half a mile of footpaths and a ‘secret garden’. There is even a private chapel complete with working bells and an organ.

As part of the restoration project a number of original features have been exposed.

The property was originally built as a stately family home, before being in the care of Catholic missionaries until June 2017. There have been just five owners in its history.

Hannah Petrouis, 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.”

Hawkstone Hall was established by Richard Hill of Hawkstone, also known as 'The Great Hill' around 1707 and it became the seat of the Hill family for more than 300 years.

Since then, the house itself has been owned by Liberal Politician and Baron, George Whiteley, before being bought by the Roman Catholic Redemptorist Order in 1973. It has been used as a filming location for many period television programmes and films.