Former Edwardian spa hotel for sale with asking price of £250,000

An historic Grade II listed hotel has been put up for sale with an asking price of £250,000.

The former Gwalia Hotel in Llandrindod Wells is located near the town centre, with the building currently used for library, registration services and social care provision for Powys County Council.

Those services will remain in the building until alternative permanent arrangements are in place.

The sale is part of the council’s county-wide review of its assets as part of the council’s Sustainable Powys initiative, to re-think how services are delivered to meet future budget pressures.

Plans by the council to attract a partner interested in giving the Grade II building a long-term future were launched in February last year but proved unsuccessful and it has now been put on the market with estate agents James Dean.

Landmark

Cabinet Member for a Connected Powys, Councillor Jake Berriman said: “The Gwalia is a landmark Listed building situated in the heart of Llandrindod Wells, an architecturally stunning Spa town in Mid Wales.

“On a personal note, I worked in the building in the early 90’s, when I moved to the area to work in the planning department, and as such it holds many special memories for me.

“The building is in fine order, but now needs a new custodian to give it a fresh lease of life and to ensure that it makes a positive contribution to the town for another 125 years.”

The Gwalia Hotel opened in 1902 and was a fashionable venue in the early Edwardian years.

Visitors came in large numbers to “take the waters” at the mineral springs in Rock Park, next to the hotel.

David Lloyd George

Notable visitors included the future Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, who stayed there in 1903, 1904 and again in 1905.The composer, Sir Edward Elgar, stayed at the hotel in 1909 and David Lloyd George’s mistress, Frances Stevenson, sent him love letters from the hotel in August 1925.

The building was requisitioned for military use during the Second World War, and, following a general loss of interest in health spas, never re-opened.

It was sold at auction to Radnorshire County Council and the council officers and their departments, which had been based in the “County Buildings” in the High Street at Llandrindod Wells since 1909, moved into the former hotel in 1950

In 1974, the building became the headquarters of Radnorshire District Council, and became a customer service point for Powys County Council in 1996.

Powys County Council is currently forecasting a funding shortfall, based on national fiscal analysis, of more than £9.6million for the next financial year with that figure rising to £50.9 million or more over the next four years.