WHOEVER buys Tallentire Hall - on the market for £2.5 million - will be entitled to call themselves Lord of the Manor.

The manorial title is being sold with the property, which is three miles from Cockermouth, by agents Lakes and Country, of Carlisle.

The package includes the grade two listed hall, four wing residences, five cottages, the manorial title, 17.59 acres of gardens and grounds and a walled garden with planning permission to convert empty buildings into a three-bedroomed dwelling.

The agents say that Allerdale council would not disagree to the principle of commercial uses for the building, including as a hotel, offices, care home or serviced holiday accommodation.

The ancient manor was granted in 1080 to Waldeof, whose descendants took the Tallentire name until 1578, when the property transferred to the Fletchers of Cockermouth.

The Partis family, tobacco merchants from Newcastle, took over in 1696, and in 1776 the property was acquired by William Browne, an eminent magistrate and philanthropist, who is thought to have built the present hall, incorporating a 16th century stair turret, at the turn of the 19th century.

When the Brownes left Cumberland in 1890, the estate was bought by James Duffield, of shipping firm Cammell Laird, who was mayor of Workington and made improvements to the building. he died in 1915 and the estate transferred to Neville Barraclough, an engineer, and it remained in his family until around 1970.

After that, farms, park, land and converted accommodation were sold off, the main contents of the house were auctioned by Sotheby’s, and the estate was bought by the present owners.

The principal features of the main house are an ornate arched gallery and panelled inner hall, and it also includes a strong room, a 23 foot by 16 foot kitchen and several reception rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms.

There are also cellars, a drinks cupboard with shelving and a stainless steel sink, an impressive stairwell gallery and cellars. All the rooms incorporate period features such as alcoves, decorative ceiling features, picture rails and panelling.

The north west wing is divided into two residences with their own outside access and a link from the main house; and the south east wing is divided into three residences, the freehold of one of which is included in the sale and two of which are let on shorthold tenancies. They have an adjoining stair turret which has mullioned casement windows and leads to a battlemented parapet with impressive views.

Outside is Hall Court, outbuildings which have been converted into cottages, five of which are included in the sale; former stables and a garage clock, a store room, a harness room, boiler room and store.

The gardens include formal and woodland areas with views over the countryside to the Solway Firth.

The formal garden has sloping terraced lawns with two sets of stone steps leading to a sheltered paved area, and to the south is a terrace and small terraced garden which runs the length of the hall and the south east wing. Stone steps lead to a circular sunken rose garden which has a central fountain and a shrubbery.

The walled garden to the south east contains the old groundsman’s buildings which can be converted to a dwelling; and there are four parcels of woodland.