Did Hitler the househunter have his eye on Shropshire?

Or rather, he didn't. But might he have done?

The selling of a distinctive property on the Apley Park estate, between Telford and Bridgnorth, has reawakened a story that the Nazi leader had earmarked the Grade II Apley Hall as somewhere to live once his stormtroopers had overrun Britain in 1940.

The Tower at Apley, a fairytale castellated building set over four floors, is on the market for £350,000.

The supposed Hitler connection is not mentioned in the online selling details from Balfours Property Professionals, which say that The Tower is a four-bedroomed town house within the Apley Park estate and was originally commissioned by Thomas Whitmore in 1811.

So where did the idea that Hitler, who you would imagine was busy with other things in 1940, found time to do some map-based househunting in Shropshire, come from?

You can see the attractions. Apley Park boasts 17 acres of unspoilt parkland which he could have strolled in and chatted to his generals as he developed his murderous plans.

Also advanced in support of the theory is that there was a convenient wartime airfield nearby. While it is true that there was a nearby airfield, at Brockton, it was top secret, so Hitler would not have known about it.

There was an RAF Bridgnorth, but as many an ageing RAF National Service recruit would tell you, there was no air base there, it being used for basic training.

As for evidential support, it seems it all arises from captured Nazi material. Bridgnorth appears on German wartime maps and documents.

The thinking seems to be this: as, it is claimed, the Nazis were paying more attention to the Bridgnorth area than you would think was usual, they must have had some specific plans for the area.

If indeed Hitler had a soft spot for Bridgnorth, he had a strange way of showing it. In August 1940 the town was bombed by the Luftwaffe. Two people were killed, and the bomb site is now a memorial garden.

Back to the more prosaic business of selling properties, The Tower is a Gothic revival house, featuring exposed brickwork and a crucifix window, as well as a 360 degree view of the estate.

Estate agent, Scott Kemsley says: "This is a very unique and well-presented property, situated within a courtyard, with fantastic parkland walks.

"The facilities of Bridgnorth and Telford are both within an easy commute, as are the major road networks."