The ambitious takeover of an historic hotel near Brampton has been welcomed by campaigners fighting to reopen the nearby railway station.

The Campaign to Open Gilsland Station (COGS) said it hopes to establish “fruitful” contact with the new owners of Gilsland Spa.

The former convalescent home has been bought by Northern Powerhouse Developments. This is a Halifax-based firm which has vowed to transform it into a “premier standard” venue with a major refurbishment programme – a scheme which could bring 50 jobs to the area.

Plans for the 19th-century hotel include the construction of a new building within the existing grounds to accommodate spa facilities and a swimming pool.

The Co-op has owned the building and its grounds for more than 100 years but is now selling it.

COGS member Wendy Bond said: “We are very much looking forward to establishing fruitful contact with the new owners of the hotel, while sad, of course, that the long association with the Co-op has come to an end.

“We hope that it will be typical of the resurgence in businesses, with the prospect of a railway station in Gilsland. Hundreds of visitors came to the Spa by train from the day the station first opened and train travel is again becoming the popular way to go on holiday.”

During World War Two it became a makeshift maternity hospital for expectant mothers fleeing from the cities and many of their children continue to visit to this day.

Mrs Bond hopes this and its days as a convalescent home will not be forgotten.

She also said the village’s association with legendary novelist Sir Walter Scott also brings “tremendous” potential in helping develop Gilsland as a destination.

“The hotel’s long history is a remarkable and fascinating one,” she said.

Others, including Andrew Keen, manager of House of Meg cafe, have recognised how beneficial the deal could be.

He said: “I think it will bring more people to the village and will help my business – more passing trade and new jobs will be brought in.”

People counters have been monitoring the number of passing visitors, walking the Hadrian’s Wall Trail since April 1.

An average of 6,000 a month were recorded at Willowford Gate, opposite the school, while a total of 17,000 passed under the viaduct.

Dan Newrick, chairman of Upper Denton parish council and member of COGS, hopes the reinstatement of the railway station and a transformed local hotel would see the numbers steadily rise.

“If the hotel gets up and running and makes it more family friendly and encourages more families to come here I feel we will get a lot more walkers in the district rather than just that gateway,” he said.

He is, however, concerned that the lack of buses on the Cumbrian side of the border mean matters locally are disjointed.

“There isn’t any joined-up thinking,” he said. “But I think anything that invests money in Gilsland can only help us.”

A steady flow of visitors to the hotel and the stream of walkers on the Hadrian’s Wall Trail, Mrs Bond said, mean there is a market for a proposed community electric taxi service, an ambition for COGS and the whole community.

Lawrence Fisher, Cumbria county councillor for the area, said: “I think it’s a good thing and I think the locals are going to think it’s a good thing.

“Nobody realises there are a lot of international people who go up to Spadeadam and they have nowhere to stay like that.

“It’s going to improve and go up a notch.

“It’s very busy with meals for locals going out for Sunday lunch but it tends to be coach trips staying there.

“We are hoping if we can get the railway station open it will encourage people to go there because they could run buses down for the hotel to the railway station.”

Mark Bowness, managing director of Northern Powerhouse Developments, said the work would create employment while existing staff at the hotel would be retained as part of the new venture.

Until a change to its current name – Gilsland Hall Hotel – 18 months ago, the hotel was previously known as Gilsland Spa.

Mr Bowness said the firm was keen to reinstate the word spa, and that a new name was likely to be Gilsland Country Spa.

He said: “This is a stunning place, but it needs investment.

“We want to breathe new life into the hotel and create a premier standard venue that the district can be proud of.”

The scheme would include a facelift for the hotel’s 86 bedrooms, as well as the function room.

A second restaurant would be created within the existing building, which will continue to host weddings and functions.

The Co-op Group’s Chris Somme said running hotels was not part of the group’s core business.

He added: “We’ve exchanged contracts on Gilsland Hall and expect to complete the sale by the end of the year.”