Historic manor to be transformed into luxury hotel

A 500-year-old manor house described as "not suitable for modern living" is to be converted into a luxury hotel.

The new owners of Hazelbury Manor, at Box in Wiltshire, have been given permission by Wiltshire Council to change the use of the Grade I listed building from residential to hospitality.

Agents representing the owners said the property's "long corridors", multiple courtyards and "extensive floorspace" made it unsuitable for "modern living" but "entirely appropriate for use as a hotel".

The change of use application was recommended for approval by planning officers, as an "appropriate and viable" way of securing the "long-term conservation" of the manor house and grounds.

Dating back to the 14th Century, the manor house was restored and extended in the 1920s, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Between 1943 and 1971 it was operated as a girls' school before returning to private residential use.

The change of use includes the manor house, which will have 12 hotel suites, the Dower House, which will have three suites and the Granary, with eight suites.

It also applies to the park and garden including the remains of a 17th Century formal garden and a "quirky" yew circle built in the mid-1980s and inspired by Stonehenge.

The owners said they want to deliver a "high-quality hospitality offer" that will support Wiltshire's visitor economy while also ensuring the long-term conservation of these significant heritage assets.

Box Parish Council raised no objection in principle to the planning application, subject to a wide range of concerns being satisfactorily addressed.

While the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings said it "may represent a viable option to secure the long-term conservation of the site".

The Cotswolds National Landscape Board, also said it recognised that "hotel use represents an appropriate and viable option to secure the long-term conservation of the manor and its grounds".

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