Iconic country property, Penrhos Court, near Kington on Herefordshire’s border with Wales has changed hands for the first time in 40 years
Local property developer John Rudge – who helped oversee the acclaimed restoration of Wells House in nearby Malvern Wells - has stepped in to buy the property which includes a listed Elizabethan Room believed to date back to 1590.Property specialist John from Warwickshire-based FRD Associates said he was delighted to be making Penrhos Court his home – although he has no plans to return the venue to its former role as a well-known country hotel and restaurant.
He said: “There are some buildings which are special and this is one of them. When you go in there is a certain something about it you can sense the atmosphere. It is a spectacularly beautiful building in a picture postcard setting.”Collliers International Hotels director Peter Brunt said he had been determined to find the right owner for the landmark property.He said: “Penrhos Court had been lovingly restored by the previous owners since they bought it in 1972. Although the country hotel and function venue had ceased trading it was clear the iconic buildings would suit a wide variety of uses.”
Set in lovely Herefordshire countryside outside the pretty market town of Kington, Penrhos is situated off the A44 Leominster road near Hergest Ridge and makes an ideal base for those looking to explore the Welsh borders.The distinctive Tudor buildings are grouped around a grassy courtyard which has a small pool as its centrepiece.Peter Brunt said: “Some of these beautiful buildings have stood for more than 700 years and the sense of history is palpable.
“The former owners placed considerable emphasis on a green and sustainable ethos that has conditioned not only the approach to the conservation of the buildings but also the style in which the business operated.”English Heritage gave the buildings at Penrhos grade II* status denoting its historical importance. The buildings are thought to date from as early as the late 13th century with additions in the 1500s and 1600s.
There is ample car parking, woodland, gardens and a walled organic market garden amounting to around 4.5 acres.
"The first new use for the farm buildings at Penrhos Court was for the derelict Byre on the north side of the courtyard, the smallest of all the buildings. We rain-proofed the roof, swept out the rotted straw and cow dung from the cobble floor, bought an old gas oven from a fish and chip shop in Hereford and opened a restaurant. After two years it gained entry to the Good Food Guide and in came some famous people followed by people to see the famous people, it was full every night. Johnny & Fanny Cradock wrote about us, Queen, Mike Oldfield and Led Zeppelin came in and best of all Terry Jones came in with his family. After a few visits Terry and I agreed to set up the Penrhos Brewery, this was the first of the micro breweries and after a few years it became the test bed for the Penrhos Electronic Process Controller. Then in 1990 we added a whole new section to the buildings with a kitchen and 15 hotel rooms and later the Penrhos School of Food & Health, which has now changed its name to Greencuisine. These enterprises were all exciting, demanding and profitable and they have taken us through two periods of economic recession" |
Hergest Ridge
Large elongated hill which traverses the border between England and Wales between the town of Kington in Herefordshire and the village of Gladestry in Powys. Its highest point, which is in England, is 1397 feet high and overlooks Penrhos Court. It inspired Mike Oldfield's second album in 1974 on Virgin Records. The title track can be played from the YouTube widget on the right. |
The usage of Penrhros Court is currently as a restaurant and hotel, however planning permission is being sought for residential use.
Please contact John Rudge.
