Stately home sale almost complete

A mystery millionaire is on the brink of snapping up a sprawling stately home near Wolverhampton which is on the market with a £4 million price tag.

Estate agents dealing with the sale of luxurious Patshull Hall in Pattingham, one of the Midlands' top wedding venues, today revealed an unnamed potential buyer had viewed the property five times and spent hours there yesterday. Tony Morris-Eyton, of Savills estate agents in Telford, said today he was "quietly optimistic" of a sale.

And he revealed there had been 24 viewings of the 14-bedroom Grade I listed house, which was put on the market in March.

The mansion boasts 60 lavish rooms and 50 acres of immaculately manicured grounds and could be sold off as a private house or for commercial use such as a wedding venue.

But Mr Morris-Eyton, who was keeping tight-lipped over the identity of the potential buyer, said that if the sale came off, the house would be used as part-home and part-business venue, and still available for wedding parties.

He said: "Although the property is still available, there has been strong interest from a number of people and one buyer in particular.

"Given the £4 million guide price, that is fantastic.

"Most of the interest has come from corporate people looking for a wedding venue, which is hardly surprising as Patshull Park is among England's 25 best stately homes."

The house, at one time home to the Earl of Dartmouth, was built around 1750 by architect James Gibbs and had fallen into a poor state after being left untouched for several years since it was used as a hospital.

Its extensive grounds have also been restored to their original design and include a cricket pitch, croquet lawn and archery lawn. Currently it hosts 25 weddings a year, costing between £3,500 to £5,000 to hire, and is also offered as a film location.

The estate, seven miles from Wolverhampton, was bought for £1.25 million in 1999 by interior designer Tim Reynolds.

By Marion Brennan