Bidders are set to check in for the sale of a historic hotel with 20 rooms in the town square in Launceston.

The landmark White Hart Hotel at 15 Broad Street — believed to date to the 17th Century — is among the lots in the first auction of 2020 by the regional land and property auctioneers, Clive Emson on Thursday, February 13.

It has a freehold guide price of £225,000 to £275,000. Its ground floor includes bars, dining area, snooker room, conservatory, function rooms and a large ballroom

Meanwhile, the upper floors house a manager’s flat and 20 lettings rooms of which many have en-suite facilities. Outside to the rear is a large car park.

Senior auction appraiser Dave Henwood said: “This is an incredibly well known property overlooking the town square in Launceston.

“Interested parties may wish to continue use of the hotel in its current form although there is also clear potential for sub-division of conversion of the upper floors into separate residential units, subject to the necessary consents.”

The White Hart is being auctioned jointly with Christie & Co of Exeter.

Clive Emson Auctioneers holds a regional auction at five locations, eight times a year (effectively one every six weeks) at venues across the whole of the South of England.

During 2019 the firm catalogued a total of 1,071 lots and achieved sales worth £150-million with a sales rate of 80 per cent.

Clive Emson auctioneers and staff also helped raise in the region of £200,000 for a number of charities and organisations through auctions and events across the south during 2019.

Clive Emson Auctioneers managing director James Emson said: “There is no doubt that 2019 was a challenging year for everyone in the industry for a number of reasons.

“That said, we did particularly well across the board and we are delighted to be entering our fourth decade of trading in good spirits and with great enthusiasm.

“Our longevity is down to my father’s foresight in setting up a unique business 30 years ago as well as our continued ethos of complete transparency, superb customer service and partnership working with property industry specialists.

“We look forward to welcoming back vendors and purchasers for our first auction of 2020 in February.”

Starting at 11am, the auction will take place at the St Mellion International Resort, St Mellion, on Thursday, February 13, this time with a total of 170 lots.