Meet the new owner of the Wrekin's Halfway House

Sean Saward has taken on the building, nestled on the iconic Wrekin.

And today he pledged to restore the attraction and maintain it so that thousands of walkers can continue to enjoy their rest as they climb the hill near Telford.

The 50-year-old says he intends to live in the house and plans to develop the cafe and restore the pavilion that sits alongside it. He hopes to remove the old corrugated metal shop and replace it with a new wooden structure that will blend in to the natural surroundings.

But he says he will keep the charm of the cafe – and ensure that it remains at a price that the everyday person can afford.

Mr Saward has taken over the Halfway House from long-term owner Tom Bolger.

He said: "I became very aware that although it was going to auction Tom wanted someone to take it on and keep the shop open.

"I thought that if it went to auction it would go to some millionaire who would fence it off and turn it into a weekend paradise with parking for 19 Range Rovers. I didn't want that to happen."

The Halfway House has a long tale to tell, with the earliest owner dating from 1842, when it was a hunting lodge.

Mr Bolger had lived there since 1976 with his wife Philomena, providing drinks and snacks to some 80,000 visitors to the hill each year.