Brian Keane, owner of Ravenwood Hall, in Rougham, near Bury St Edmunds, speaks of plans for future

A hotelier who took over a historic country house last year has spoken of his plans for the future.

Brian Keane, director of the Cameron Hotel Collection, purchased Ravenwood Hall, in Rougham, near Bury St Edmunds, from longstanding owner Craig Jarvis in May last year.

In December, Mr Keane, whose other hotels include the Priory in Bury St Edmunds, submitted a planning application for 11 lodges on the site, to be built on a disused tennis court and grassland at the back of the building.

He said he wanted to transform Ravenwood into a family destination where everyone could stay together.

“There’s a demand from families to come to the location with the grandparents and so on; they want to be in a country retreat,” he said.

“They want a country house for the family with a bit of history for the family, and the lodges to create a bit of ambience.

“People want to bring the whole family here – we had it at Christmas, parents wanted rooms so we put them in the Priory.

“The idea here is the family could be in the lodges and have parents in the main building.”

As well as Ravenwood and Priory, Mr Keane runs Cedars Hotel in Stowmarket and the Ipswich Hotel. He took over the Priory in 2015 and is still seeking to develop and enhance the premises.

Mr Keane had known Craig Jarvis for several years before the sale, which he said came about from ‘two owners talking, and thus here we are.’

He recognises that Ravenwood holds an important status in the West Suffolk community, and was keen to assure regulars and customers alike that the new development would not impact on Ravenwood’s atmosphere or traditional appeal.

“Ravenwood Hall has to grow over the next three to five years, in many areas. The most important thing we see is people want more space, they want more of an experience.

“But we will still protect the charm of the building. When you look at the building from the front as normal, you won’t actually be able to see the lodges as they’ll be tucked away.

“We’re keeping Ravenwood’s traditional appeal whilst also appealing to a new clientele.

“We’ve got a lot going for us – we’re in the countryside and we want to make it an experience. We want to put Ravenwood Hall on the map.”

The planning application is currently being considered, with the consultation phase due to close on January 24. It has a determination deadline of February 16.