THE National Trust has put Heywood House up for sale as it prepares to move to a new £10.5m HQ in Swindon.

The stately home near Westbury is on sale for £2m .

Michael Tims, whose firm is marketing the house, said: "There has been a lot of interest in it already.

"The house is currently used by the trust as offices but it would be ideal for other purposes subject to obtaining the necessary consents."

Heywood House, set in 26 acres, was rebuilt in about 1837 and is to be sold as a single lot with a former stable block and annexe, a period cottage and garages.

The trust bought the Jacobean-style house in the 1980s when it became its centre for finance, information technology and administration for the Wessex region.

The operations at Heywood House are due to stop in the summer of 2005 when the charity plans to bring together 430 staff spread over sites in Gloucester and Wiltshire.

Sue Holden, business administration director of the charity, said: "We needed to get head office staff together in one place. At the moment we have them in Westbury, Melksham, Swindon and London.

"They employ about 80 workers there. We hope they will all come to work in Swindon, which is commutable.

"We understand some might have trouble working in Swindon but we chose the town because it was in the middle of all our offices."

The original house was built in about 1603 by former Lord High Treasurer of England and MP for Westbury James Ley.

Since then it has had 19 different owners.

During the first world war the house was converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers.

After the war, Heywood estate was auctioned but the house failed to find a purchaser and stood empty until it was bought by a local businessman, Sydney Barnes, in 1934.

After his death the house was used as a school before the National Trust bought it.