12th Viscount moves into hall

Historic Hagley Hall has a new tenant – the 12th Viscount Cobham, who has moved into the grand stately home to take over running the site.

Christopher Lyttelton, the new Lord Cobham, has taken up residence at the hall with his wife Tessa, staff at the estate confirmed today.

And he is already making plans to ensure the hall and its land remains one of the area's key historic sites in the coming years, staff say.

The new Lord Cobham is the younger brother of the 11th Viscount, John Lyttelton, who lived at the hall until his death in October 2006.

As John Lyttelton had no children, the title of Lord Cobham automatically passed to his younger brother.

Lisa Lyttelton, the Dowager Viscountess Cobham, widow of the previous Lord Cobham, has continued to manage the estate up until recently.

She is believed to have moved out of the hall shortly before the new Lord Cobham and his wife moved in, passing responsibility for the hall and its land on to them.

Alongside continuing to open up the site to the public, Lord Cobham also wants to make the hall available for more community and commercial events.

This will include activities for the public and the hall being used as a venue by businesses in the community to stage conferences and meetings.