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Could Horncastle’s old Courthouse become a hotel?
The old Courthouse, widely regarded as one of Horncastle’s most iconic buildings , could be handed a dramatic new lease of life as a hotel.
Current owners Lincolnshire County Council are looking to sell the building for £250,000.
It was most recently used as office accommodation by the county council but the authority has moved staff to another location in the town in a bid to save money.
However, the News has learned a leading hotel company has shown ‘early interest’ in the property.
Horncastle county councillor Bill Aron said he was aware of ‘rumours’ about the potential future of the building.
He added: “I know there has been mention locally of a hotel and if that did happen, I would be very interested to see the proposals.”
The Courthouse was built in 1865, making it one of the town’s oldest surviving buildings.
The nearby War Memorial Centre was built 12 months later.
The previous courthouse was based in the Bull Ring but outgrew the accommodation.
The new building cost £3,000 - including all fixtures and fittings.
It was designed by celebrated London architect C. Reeves and built by Mr Huddlestone of Lincoln.
Furniture was supplied by locally based company Pike and Wright.
More recently, the Courthouse has been used as a job centre and as a base for the Lincolnshire Youth Offending Services.
It is being marketed as office accommodation with development potential.
The building, though, is Grade Two listed and would be subject to stringent planning regulations.
Coun Aron said utilising the Courthouse for community use had also been discussed.
He revealed the success of facilities like Stanhope Hall, the War Memorial Centre and the Community Centre, restricted the number of options.
He said: “I would definitely prefer to see the building sold - rather than it becoming just an empty shell.”
Residents have expressed concern about the building becoming a public house - or a nightclub.
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Weather for Horncastle
Friday 24 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 29 mph
Wind direction: North
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