Oswestry celebrity hot-spot up for sale
An iconic building which has been visited by the likes of Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley is officially on the market.
Geoff and Kate Hughes, who have run The Dining Rooms restaurant in Oswestry for the last 24 years, have decided to sell the former school.
The husband-and-wife team have been working with heritage architects Arrol & Snell to draft a plan for the conversion of the building into houses.
Mr Hughes said: "The building closed as a school in 1982 and stood empty for 10 years until we had a viewing.
"We fell in love with it - mullioned sandstone windows, dressed stone corners, pitch pine queen trusses and a sense of scale that has scared designers and architects since the second world war are here in every vista.
"We have had the very great good fortune to own this special collection of building materials and this passion for the building is matched by layer upon layer of real good times that we’d been fortunate to be a part of for our loyal customers."
The building was originally designed by architect Thomas Penson and since Mr and Mrs Hughes opened on December 20 1992, originally as a restaurant called The Walls, other celebrity visitors have been through the doors.
The included Richard Branson, Robert Hardy and Jimmy Carr, Reginald D Hunter and. It is also where Robert Plant performed his first live performance after the break up of Led Zeppelin.
James Evans from Halls Commercial, the company handling the sale, said it is a completely unique property.
"This is clearly a building that is steeped in history and has had a lot of care and attention over the years," he added. "
"It is easily recognisable to the people of Oswestry and beyond and could become a great home for someone who can appreciate the architecture - but it is a versatile building with potential for alternative commercial and leisure based uses too.
"We have had plenty of interest in it already."
For more information contact James Evans on 01743 450700 or email james.evans@hallsgb.com
