Cherkley Court, the former Surrey home of Lord Beaverbrook, is to be transformed into a world-class, five-star hotel and spa. Following the departure of Lord Beaverbrook and then his wife, the Grade II-listed French château-style property was then open to the public for walks of the formal gardens but was officially closed in 2009 when the Beaverbrook Foundation announced that it was not profitable and was therefore to be sold off an asking price of £20m. Property and leisure operator Longshot, set up in 1994 by Joel Cadbury and Ollie Vigors, bought the property last April and now intends on transforming the estate into a 48-bedroom luxury hotel with two restaurants, a health club, spa, cookery school and an exclusive private members golf course all set within 380 acres.