Owners excited about hall's future

Earlier this week it was announced that Mellington Hall's current management, Lance and Vanessa Thomas, who have run the venue since 2002 had decided to leave the venue at the end of October.

However the Evans family, who own the hall and also own a holiday home park, said they will be running the venue themselves.

A statement from the family said it will be opening as normal on November 1, just days after the Thomas' hand over control.

A statement said: "As many of our friends and visitors will know, the Evans family, who also own the Holiday Home Park, are due to take back Mellington Hall Hotel from November 1, following the departure of the present tenants.

“We will be running the hall ourselves and employing Dawn Davies as manager. Dawn is highly experienced in the field of hospitality and already owns a similar, successful business of her own.

“Mellington Hall will be open for business from the moment of handover. We are extremely excited about our plans for its development and the opportunity to focus on serving local residents, local produce, and of course, our holiday home park customers.”

In the 15 years the Thomas' were running the hall near Montgomery, it has hosted a number of events including top names such as comedians Alan Carr and Lee Evans.

It has also featured on TV programmes such as the Antiques Roadshow, Escape to the County and Four in a Bed.

In a statement posted on the Mellington Hall website the Thomas' said: “In January 2002, we first stepped inside Mellington Hall, not knowing what the future would bring.

“Now, after many unforgettable years, we’re sad to announce we are leaving Mellington Hall at the end of October this year. However, we are now looking forward to a well-deserved break by the seaside, whilst planning our next challenge.

“Before we go, we would love to invite you to join us and enjoy everything that makes Mellington the special place it is.”

The bedrooms were derelict and the hall was in need of a major refurbishment when the couple took over.

Since 2002, the venue has won a number of awards, which the couple – who used to run The Lion Hotel in Berriew – said would not have been possible without their award-winning wedding co-ordinator, Kim Evans.

The couple added: “Mellington will always have a special place in all of our hearts and we hope you have shared as many memories as we have. We will miss you all, but we hope to see you again soon.”