A former castle known as the Welsh Downton Abbey will go under the hammer this week.

Westbury Castle at Gronant, near Prestatyn, which was formerly known as Talacre Abbey, is up for auction with a guide price of £1.5 - £2m.

In 2013 the property which has been converted into a wedding venue and apartments was on the market for £5m.

The site originally formed part of the Mostyn Estate and a mansion was first built there in the 16th century. The current Gothic-style property was built in the 1820s of stone from the nearby quarry and was occupied by the Mostyn family until 1920 following the deaths of two Baronets in quick succession.

At one stage there were 56 servants employed there.

It was then taken over by Benedictine nuns and remained an abbey until the end of the last century, since when it has been a family home.

Owner Ian Ringwood spent an estimated £2m on converting the Grade II* listed building into a wedding venue. Last year he announced that celebrity chef Dai Davies was joining the team.

Included in this week’s sale is a chapel with belltower, a 12-bedroom house and a wing containing nine apartments, four of which are occupied and which generate an annual rent of £68,340.

The buildings surround an enclosed courtyard and the grounds extend to 3.6 acres.

The auction on February 15 is being conducted by agents Strutt and Parker and is being held at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Park Lane, London. The property is being sold on the instructions of Annika Kisby and Tammy Wilkins, of Allsop LLP, acting as joint receivers.