A former hideaway for film stars, rocks stars and authors in Herefordshire is poised for a new lease of life.

The members of Queen and Led Zeppelin plus Mike Oldfield and Terry Jones of Monty Python fame signed in to stay at Penrhos Court over the years.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, the 15-bedroom hotel was known as a secluded and restful escape, often drawing celebrities who used to appear at the world renowned Hay-on-Wye literary festival.

However, Penrhos Court, at Lyonshall, Herefordshire, was famous in its own right, known in its heyday as the “Le Manoir au Quat’ Saisons” of The Marches because of its pioneering restaurant and cookery school.

Back then it was the brainchild of businessman Martin Griffiths and his partner Daphne Lambert.

They bought the derelict court, parts of which date from the 15th and 16th century, in 1971 and lovingly restored the hall, manor house and byre buildings.

It became a successful hotel with a restaurant that was the first one in the UK to qualify for the Soil Association symbol. They were committed to using organic produce and developed a cooking school which gained an international reputation.

The notoriously forthright restaurant critic for the Sunday Times, AA Gill, once visited and wrote: “Penrhos Court is a breathtakingly beautiful small hotel, organically folded into some of the most pretty and fibrous country in England.”

It ceased trading after 40 years and was bought by Worcestershire businessman John Rudge in 2012. He has spent 18 months consulting county planners, local artisans and historians to find a route to bring it back to life and make it suitable for a number of uses.

John said: “A lot of the work we have done has been about improving the surrounds. Where we go from here is up to interested purchasers.

“For example, you could take the main hall for your own residence and have five highly lucrative rental units in the remaining space and outbuildings.

“Or you could restore it as a hotel. Penrhos Court is ready for its next incarnation and I don’t want to prejudge the ideas its next owner might have.”

It is made up of three buildings set round a courtyard and a cart shed.

The Court itself is a Grade II* listed timber framed building under a stone tiled roof. The flagstone ground floor rooms include an imposing Banqueting Hall with cruck beams and a Minstrels Gallery.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms which could make a superb master suite.

The wing to the rear of the Court comprises extensive kitchens, larders and cloakrooms with staff accommodation above.

The Long Barn was built some 30 years ago and covers two floors with extensive roof space.

It has 11 en suite bedrooms and two two-bedroom suites. Central to this wing is the reception room which opens up to the roof ridge and has a south facing picture window to the eaves.

At the far end of the wing are two one-bedroom holiday cottages each with a living room, kitchen and bathroom and

mezzanine floor. The former hotel reception at the end of the building has a large gallery area open to the eaves with its own staircase.

The Barn is situated opposite the Court and is an attractive two storey building with a single storey extension and a large inglenook fireplace. It has been the cookery school and restaurant in the past. It currently has planning consent to create a separate dwelling.

Planning permission was granted last year to divide the Long Barn into two dwellings. It has also been granted for the construction of two garage blocks.

An open sided cart shed could house a proposed biomass boiler.

The buildings are grouped around a grassy courtyard which has a small pool as its centrepiece. There is a further pond by The Barn and a third one in the bottom corner of the glade.

Penrhos Court sits in 4.5 acres and overlooks the historic market town of Kington.

Jonathan Bengough, of Knight Frank, joint agents with McCartneys, said: “Penrhos Court has huge potential.

“Where its future lies is in the hands of a purchaser with the vision to take this unusual property and bring it back to life.”

VIEWING INFORMATION

AGENT: Knight Frank/McCartneys

TEL: 01432 273087/01544 230316

WEB: knightfrank.co.uk/mccartneys.co.uk

GUIDE PRICE: £825,000