September 2008
BREAKING NEWS ON 24th SEPTEMBER 2008 HARTWELL HOUSE AYLESBURY, BODYSGALLEN HALL NORTH WALES, AND MIDDLETHORPE HALL YORK, THE THREE PROPERTIES OF HISTORIC HOUSE HOTELS BECOME THE INALIENABLE PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL TRUST, BY DONATION.
With effect from *24th September 2008* the directors of Historic House Hotels have given all these properties to The National Trust, to continue their present style of hotel keeping under the existing management of Historic House Hotels.
The company was established thirty years ago with the intention of providing a secure new use for country houses at risk, ultimately to become the property of The National Trust. In 1997 The National Trust accepted restrictive covenants over the three properties, as a half way step.
The properties have established a high reputation as first class hotels in restored houses, set in beautiful gardens and furnished in keeping with their history, period and locations.
The motivation for the gift is to ensure that the houses and their land are kept safe forever, protected from inappropriate development, and continue to be maintained to their present high standards.
Under the umbrella of The National Trust, its members will now actually be able to stay in three of The National Trust's properties. It is envisaged that arrangements will be put in place in the future for the gardens and grounds to be open to visitors, and also for guided tours of the ground floor rooms of the houses to be offered.
The houses and gardens are of course already accesible to the public as hotels, and welcome guests to stay, to dine in their restaurants, and to have afternoon tea (booking strongly advised). All paying guests to the hotels are welcome to walk in the gardens and parks.
While there is a strong commitment to continuing the hotel use, the situation has been considered, and provision made in broad terms, for the safe future of the houses, if at some time in the distant future, hotel use were to become no longer possible or appropriate.
The present management are pleased that this long-planned moment has now arrived, and believe that The National Trust is the best possible guardian for the properties of Historic House Hotels."
