Von Essen's Bishopstrow House acquired by Longleat estate

Von Essen's Wiltshire hotel Bishopstrow House has been acquired by Longleat, the estate of the 7th Marquess of Bath.

The 32-bedroom country house hotel is the sixth former Von Essen hotel to be bought out of administration following an intense bidding process for 26 properties which were placed into administration in April.

Last week Andrew Brownsword's Brownsword Hotels, became the first company to purchase properties from the portfolio, formerly owned by Andrew Davis's Von Essen Ltd. The four hotels - Buckland Manor, Washbourne Court, Lower Slaughter Manor and Amberley Castle - will now undergo some refurbishment to bring them up to the company's standards.

Bishopstrow House, situated close to the Longleat Estate in the Wylye Valley, was bought off a guide price of £6m after attracting 'significant bidders'.

“Bishopstrow House is a quintessential Georgian country retreat and a very fine country house hotel. We’re delighted to have sold this hotel to Longleat," said Chris Day, managing director of Christie & Co.

“The Von Essen Hotels portfolio has attracted some significant bidders, Longleat amongst them, and we expect to announce further sales in the period ahead.”

The former Von Essen hotels yet to find new owners are:

  • Cliveden, Taplow, Berkshire
  • The Royal Crescent, Bath
  • Sharrow Bay, Ullswater, Cumbria
  • Ston Easton Park, near Bath
  • Thornbury Castle, near Bristol
  • Ynyshir Hall, Machynlleth, Powys, Wales
  • Seaham Hall, Seaham, County Durham
  • The Elms, Worcester
  • Fowey Hall, Fowey, Cornwall
  • Ickworth, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
  • Moonfleet Manor, Weymouth, Dorset
  • Woolley Grange, Bradford upon Avon, Wiltshire
  • Callow Hall, Ashbourne, Derbyshire
  • Congham Hall, King’s Lynn, Norfolk
  • Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian
  • The Greenway, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
  • Homewood Park, Bath
  • Lewtrenchard Manor, Okehampton, Devon
  • The Mount Somerset, Taunton, Somerset
  • New Park Manor, Brockenhurst, Hampshire