THE Feathers Hotel in Ledbury has new owners.

The 21-bedroom hotel on the High Street had been owned by the Elliston family for more than 40 years.

It has been operating as a hotel since 1564.

The Tudor-era building featuring a brasserie with

a hop-clad ceiling and a 60 cover restaurant certainly impressed the Coaching Inn Group who bought the Feathers through the sale as part of a £50m expansion programme.

The acquisition takes the group to 14 sites and more than 400 bedrooms.

Kevin Charity, of Coaching Inn Group, said: “We’re delighted to have acquired The Feathers Hotel.

"It’s a great example of the attributes we look for in our properties – a busy market town location and a business that appeals to local people as well as discerning visitors and tourists.

“The property also benefits from a passionate team and we look forward to welcoming them into the group.

“The past 12 months have seen us invest more than £4 million to refurbish our properties and this latest acquisition, part of our £50m expansion plan, puts us on track to have 25 properties in the next two

years.”

The Coaching Inn Group is backed by the Business Growth Fund, which has invested £15 million since March 2015 to support the company’s expansion.

Matthew Smith, a director of Christie & Co’s Bristol office, handled the sale.

Mr Smith said: “This sale further demonstrates the number of buyers seeking quality hotel businesses who have the financial ability to deliver.”

Anna Muizniece, also from Christie, said they were unable to comment on the sale price of the hotel.