The Swan Hotel in Wells has been sold.

The landmark building on Sadler Street which celebrates its 600th anniversary this year, has been bought by The Coaching Inn Group (part of the RedCat Pub Company).

For the past 15 years, the hotel has been owned by Wells businessman Kevin Newton who over the years has made many changes and improvements, including the popular front terrace which overlooks the Cathedral, the stunning Cathedral Suite which has received awards and accolades for its sumptuous décor and stunning views of Wells Cathedral, and raising the hotel's rating from three to four stars. Mr Newton said he was "proud" of what the hotel has achieved over the years, and that it has been "an honour and a privilege" to own it.

The Cathedral Suite. Image: The Swan Hotel

All the current staff are staying on, and Kevin Charity, CEO of The Coaching Inn Group, has offered reassurances that any bookings for events etc will continue to go ahead as planned.

He said: "We are already enjoying working with the current team, and it will be the same team managing the hotel that have done so up to now.

"All bookings are completely safe, it's simply business as usual."

Although there may be some changes to the hotel in the future, Mr Charity is keen to stress that it's a priority that The Swan will retain its individual character, despite now being part of a larger group.

He said: "We have a complete passion for historic Coaching Inns. The Swan is one of the best examples in the country in what I would consider a very special city. It fits perfectly with our group. We have no restrictions on location, therefore it's about the best inn in the best town/city. We just hadn't found anything in this area before now.

"We want to make some improvements going forward, but we will avoid rushing into this, as we need to get to understand the hotel and Wells first.

"It will stay very much independent, the management team at the hotel will be very much in charge and they make the decisions.

"The good news of belonging to our small group is we bring more depth and long term rigor, which in turn brings more strength for the hotel trade in these very uncertain times."

The Coaching Inn Group has also bought two other West Country hotels – The Moorland Hotel on Dartmoor and The Jamaica Inn in Cornwall which was the setting for Daphne du Maurier's novel of the same name.

Mr Charity, said: "I am pleased to have increased our presence in the South West with this trio of acquisitions. All three inns are incredibly high-quality additions to The Coaching Inn Group that expand our portfolio in popular holiday locations in the UK focusing on areas of natural beauty.

"We look forward to preserving the history of each inn, which has served as an attraction for tourists and guests."

The Swan has a rich history. It is thought that the first guests were welcomed at the Swan in 1422 and since then guests have included King Henry VII, Prime Ministers Ramsay MacDonald and Winston Churchill, author George Bernard Shaw and Queen Anne of Denmark.