An open viewing for Suffolk’s most southerly pub attracted seven groups of potential buyers.

Agents Everard Cole held the event at the currently closed Dolphin Hotel in Beach Station Road, Felixstowe on Tuesday to give interested parties an opportunity to view the property, which has been on the market with an asking price of around £500,000.

Gareth Hatton, from the agents, said no offers had yet been made for the premises, close to the town’s seafront, but Everard Cole would be in touch with the viewing groups this week by email to give them the opportunity to put forward bids.

He added: “It went well. We had a number of people turn up. We had seven groups of people, all potential buyers.

“There was a mixture of interest, with some looking for development, some looking for bar use and some looking for office use.”

The Dolphin Hotel has extensive bar areas, serves food and has 13 rooms to let upstairs.

The pub and hotel in Beach Station Road, Felixstowe, has been the site of an inn for more than 140 years.

It began life in late Victorian times as the Station Hotel, opening opposite Felixstowe Beach Station - now demolished - which in its heyday was the arrival and departure point for thousands of families every summer enjoying a day at the seaside.

It was rebuilt in the 1950s and retained its name until the late ‘60s, after the closure of the station, when it became the Dolphin.

A previous offer had been made for the hotel when it originally went on the market, but Mr Hatton said earlier this week that it was ‘no longer proceeding’ and therefore the property was up for sale again.

He said he was ‘confident’ a suitable bid would be made for the Admiral Taverns property, which stands on a half an acre site.