UB40 star Robin Campbell has put his sprawling £1.65 million West Midlands mansion on the market.

After purchasing the lavish property from Electric Light Orchestra musician Jeff Lynne some 17 years ago, the guitarist admitted he spent ‘all’ his money on restoring the 15th century country pile without realising what a huge project he was taking on.

The Grade-II listed Walsh Hall, near Meriden, West Midlands, boasts six bedrooms, a tennis court, its own gym and a staggering 4.8 acres of land.

Time for a change: UB40 star Robin Campbell has put his sprawling £1.65 million West Midlands mansion on the market

But Campbell admitted the plush former manor house is now too big for him and partner Luci Crossman since his children have flown the nest.

He said: ‘It seems a bit silly for two of us to rattle round in. It is more than 7,000 square feet.

‘We could stand at each end of the house, scream our heads off and not hear anything. It is lovely but it is really a family house.

No regrets: The guitarist admitted he spent ‘all’ his money on restoring the 15th century country pile without realising what a huge project he was taking on

‘Rattling around’: Campbell admitted the plush former manor house is now too big for him and partner Luci Crossman since his children have flown the nest

‘I’ll miss it because I have put so much into it. I have had nearly 20 lovely years here. But I have had my time here and I am quite happy to move.’

The cash-strapped musician admitted he had no idea how much it would cost him to restore the sprawling country home.

And the property hasn’t offered quite as much privacy from the prying eyes of fans as he’d hoped.

He added: ‘It wasn’t private enough any more. There were people camped outside and peeking through the hedges.

Lavish: The Grade-II listed Walsh Hall, near Meriden, West Midlands, boasts six bedrooms, a tennis court, its own gym and a staggering 4.8 acres of land

Expensive: The cash-strapped musician admitted he had no idea how much it would cost him to restore the sprawling country home

‘I wasn’t necessarily looking for a house this far out but it was difficult finding somewhere close to Birmingham that was private.

‘You can’t imagine the amount of work until you start. If I’d had any idea I think I would have probably run a mile. I had a crew of up to ten different workmen at different times working on stuff here for a couple of years.

‘I’d been touring for the last four years so I took a break and spent all my money on this giant house.’

Prying eyes: Campbell explained the property didn’t offer as much privacy as he had hoped when he purchased the house 17 years ago

Plush pad: The star explained he would have ‘run a mile’ if he knew how much work restoring the property would entail

The star paid for the house in cash when he bought it from Jeff Lynne back in 1995.

He said: ‘I got our office to ring him in Los Angeles and made him a cash offer.

‘I said I had to know that day because I was off to Europe the next day. He phoned back and said “Yes, fine”. That was it. I bought it over a weekend.’

Memories: The musician admitted he would miss the ‘lovely family home’ after 17 happy years of living there

Too much space! The guitarist joked that he and partner Luci could ‘stand at each end of the house, scream our heads off and not hear anything’

Campbell’s move comes just over a year after it emerged most of his fellow UB40 bandmates – including brother Ali – had been declared bankrupt.

Sax player Brian Travers, drummer Jimmy Brown, trumpeter Terence Oswald and percussionist Norman Hassan were also rendered insolvent in November 2011 over a number of unpaid debts.

Campbell escaped the same fate as his five reggae supergroup bandmates after he struck a deal over his debts.

Lavish: The mansion features stunning period features and authentic fireplaces

Former owner: Campbell paid for the house in cash when he bought it from Electric Light Orchestra star Jeff Lynne back in 1995

Speaking at the time, a spokesperson for financial firm RSM Tenon, which handled the bankruptcy proceedings, said Robin Campbell had made an arrangement with creditors.

He said: ‘I understand Robin has done some sort of deal as part of the proceedings, so no longer owes any money. This could be something like re-mortgaging his house.’

UB40 formed in 1978 and notched up 50 UK chart hits, including a number one cover of Neil Diamond’s Red Red Wine, and two number one albums in the UK – Labour Of Love in 1983 and 1993’s Promises and Lies.