Last chance to win a Lancashire mansion

More than 440,000 entries have been received in the Win A Country House competition, which will see the winner walk away with the keys to the Grade II Listed, six bedroomed Melling Manor in Melling, Lancashire.

Owner Dunstan Low told the Lancaster Guardian that interest in the competition had far exceeded his expectations, and he was now considering setting up a business specialising in raffling off properties and luxury cars.

Entries for the competition priced at £2 each have raised £890,000 so far.

The competition closes at midday on August 1, and the winner will be announced on August 15.

Mr Low bought Melling Manor in 2011 and set about returning it to its former glory in a year long refurbishment project.

But the married father of two said that when business began to slow down, he struggled to pay the mortgage, and the property became a hot potato.

He said: “The response has been incredible and far exceeds any expectation we had.

“We can pay the mortgage back, and if there’s anything left I can establish a business out of it.

“There’s been that much interest around the world, it’s got to be worth trying.

“We’ve got people that can’t sell and people that can’t buy so if we can take everything we’ve learned from this and all the difficulties we’ve overcome, it’s a great opportunity.”

Mr Low will also donate £25,000 to St John’s Hospice in Lancaster, and the winner will receive the title of Lord Melling for a year.

Visit www.winacountryhouse.com to enter.

For a look around the house with Dunstan and more information on the property CLICK HERE