Are you looking for a detached property with lots of character and outside space? Does your checklist include a banquet hall, topiary lawn, secret garden, and helipad?
Well, you might be in luck. With the coronation imminent, property site Rightmove has published a list of castles for sale in the UK that are “fit for royalty”.
With the listing clearly designed to appeal to fantasy house hunters – those who enjoy looking through keyholes at houses they can’t afford – the most expensive of these grand abodes is Earlshall Castle in Fife, priced at sale of 8 million pounds sterling.
Described as one of the “best preserved 16th century houses in Scotland”, the historic stack has welcomed many visitors, including Mary Queen of Scots. Although it “only” has 10 rooms, space is not an issue because the property has three cabins and 21 hectares (53 acres) of land.
The interior certainly has the wow factor, with a 50-foot-long painted ceiling in the “Long Gallery” decorated with the coats of arms of European royalty and Scottish noble families. The grounds are also fabulous, with walled gardens designed by Sir Robert Lorimer, plus a topiary lawn, yew walk and secret garden.
If £8m is too much for your blood, how about the Grade II listed Stowe Castle in Buckinghamshire? It costs “only” £4.5m and is theoretically travelable to London by train (there’s also a helipad if you’re in a hurry).
Stowe’s 60 foot crenellated walls are sure to impress guests, as are the ogee arched doorways and solid oak doors. It has five bedrooms, but there is plenty of additional accommodation, including in a converted barn.
However, if your budget is over £3m, consider the beautiful Brechin Castle in Angus, with its 16 bedrooms and eight reception rooms.
You get a lot of history for your money, as the structure incorporates part of the original castle, which dates back to the 13th century. The castle comes with 70 acres (28 hectares) of land and, if fishing is your thing, the chance to fish for salmon in the South Esk River.
Also at £3m is Otterburn Castle in Newcastle upon Tyne, which, with its stone mullioned windows, oak paneling on the walls and magnificent fireplaces, has an authentic castle atmosphere. Its 13 hectares (32 acres) of grounds include formal gardens, woods, and a lake.
The blurb says that the carved staircase and wood paneling in the reception room create an “impressive feeling of theater on arrival”, and with 18 rooms (17 of which are en-suite) it is currently being run as a successful country hotel.
Its garden room has an ornate Florentine marble fireplace with paired Ionic columns and a frieze of a she-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus. This room is used for ceremonies and can accommodate 120 guests comfortably, or 40-60 for a formal dinner, so it would be ideal if you have a large family.
Oliver Custance Baker, head of the country house department at Strutt & Parker, said: “Originally built for prominent families, castles don’t change hands very often, and their histories are often well documented and an integral part of their history. value in today’s world. . Otterburn Castle, for example, has a history dating back to William the Conqueror and the sequence of owners is well documented over the years.
“Castles are a big draw for the international market, often because they are rarely found outside of Europe. For those looking for a castle, their search is rarely based on location. It will be the castle itself, its history, size and the surrounding landscape that will often be the deciding factors in its sale.”