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 could be in luck. With the coronation imminent, property site Rightmove has released a list of castles for sale in the UK that are “fit for royalty”.
With the list clearly designed to appeal to fantasy house hunters – those who enjoy looking through the keyhole of homes they cannot afford – the most expensive of these grand abodes is Earlshall Castle in Fife, priced to sell at £8m.
Described as one of the “best kept 16th-century houses in Scotland”, the historic pile has hosted numerous visitors, including Mary, Queen of Scots. While it “only” boasts 10 bedrooms, space is not an issue because the property comes with three cottages and 21 hectares (53 acres) of grounds.
The interior certainly has the wow factor, with a 50ft long painted ceiling in the “Long Gallery” decorated with the coats of arms of European royalty and Scottish noble families. The grounds are fabulous too, with walled gardens designed by Sir Robert Lorimer, plus a topiary lawn, yew walk and secret garden.
If £8m is too rich for your blood, how about Grade II-listed Stowe Castle in Buckinghamshire? It is “only” £4.5m and, in theory, commutable to London via train (there’s also a helipad if you are in a hurry).
Stowe’s 60 foot castellated 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 refurbished barn.
However, if your budget does top £3m, consider beautiful Brechin Castle in Angus, with its 16 bedrooms and eight reception rooms.
You get a lot of history for your buck, as the structure incorporates part of the original castle, which dates to the 13th century. The castle comes with 28 hectares (70 acres) of land and, if fishing is your thing, the chance to catch salmon in the River South Esk.
Also on at £3m is Otterburn Castle in Newcastle upon Tyne which, with its stone-mullioned windows, oak wall panelling and magnificent fireplaces, has an authentic castle vibe. Its 13 hectares (32 acres) of grounds include formal gardens, woodlands and a lake.
The blurb says the carved staircase and timber panelling in the reception hall create an “impressive sense of theatre upon arrival”, and with 18 bedrooms (17 of them en suite) it is currently being run as a successful country house hotel.
Its garden room has an ornate Florentine marble fireplace with paired Ionic columns and a frieze of a she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus. This room is used for ceremonies and can seat 120 guests comfortably, or 40-60 for formal dining, so would be ideal if you have a big family.
Oliver Custance Baker, head of Strutt & Parker’s country house department, said: “Originally built for prominent families, castles don’t change hands very often, and their histories are often well-documented and are an integral part of their value in today’s world. Otterburn Castle, for example, has history dating back to William the Conqueror with the sequence of owners is well documented over the years.
“Castles are a big draw for the international market, often because they’re seldom found outside Europe. For those looking for a castle, their search is rarely location driven. It’ll be about the castle itself, its history, size, and the landscape that surrounds it that will often be the deciding factors in its sale.”
