Old residences for a new royal couple

Plas Rhianfa, Menai Bridge, Gwynedd. Her Maj should feel at home on weekend visits beneath the painted coffered ceilings and panelling in the main reception rooms and William and Kate can host intimate state occasions in the grand banqueting hall. The house, on the market for £2.35m and modelled on castles in the Loire Valley, sits on the rim of Anglesey fronting the Menai Strait and the distant peaks of Snowdonia. Since it’s a starter home, the royal couple may overlook the fact that it was built as a mere dower house by a Victorian aristocrat. The 16 bedrooms should absorb some of their London social life.
Savills, 01952 239 500
Photograph: Savills

Y Faenol, Felinheli, near Bangor. This Grade II-listed Georgian residence has only been on the market twice in the past 150 years. It sits in 26 acres of land, and boasts superb views over parkland to the Snowdonia mountains and to the Menai Strait, but is conveniently just four miles from Bangor. The main house has four principle reception rooms, eight bedrooms and four bathrooms plus the usual domestic quarters, but also has two self contained flats, outbuilding and a riding menage – perfect for keeping one’s polo skills up to scratch. On the market for £1.85m.
Williams & Goodwin, 0843 313 8816 Photograph: Williams & Goodwin

Bryngwenallt Hall, Abergele, Clwyd. Designed by the renowned Welsh architect Richard Owen in the mid-1800s, Bryngwenallt Hall is perfect for the young royals as it is secluded on all sides by evergreen and deciduous trees. The Grade II-listed building, on the market for £1.4m, was built for MP John Roberts (whose son became the first Baron of Clwyd). It is set in four acres of ground and has commanding views towards the sea from its 60ft tower. William and Kate will enjoy the stylish mix of the original features with contemporary design, including the stunning galleried first-floor landing. In her spare time, Kate can stroll around the historic North Wales town of Abergele.
Savills, 01244 323232 Photograph: Savills

Talhenbont Hall, Chwilog, Pwllheli. This Grade II-listed 17th-century manor house is set in its own private valley with 75 acres of land which include an ancient woodland and six acres of gardens. The couple will be able to fish for salmon and trout from the Afon Swyfach, which flows for a mile and a half through the grounds. One of the most imposing properties on the Lleyn Peninsula, Talhenbont Hall boasts handsome original oak-panelled rooms, including six bedrooms on the first floor and four attic rooms. William and Kate will even be able to house their staff in the five on-site self-catering cottages. A snip at £1.95m.
Knight Frank, 01432 273087 Photograph: Knight Frank

Wreck of the Week: Ruperra Castle, Lower Machen, Newport. You could either renovate the six-bedroom house and enjoy a ruined castle in your back garden or, if you’re royal, muster around £7m on top of the £1.5m asking price to stick a roof and other mod cons on to this skeletal monument eight miles from Cardiff. It was built in 1626 as a status symbol by Sir Thomas Morgan and yes, it’s a little further south than the happy couple intend, but there is a regal precedent – James I spent a night here while raising support for the Battle of Naseby. It stands in 30 acres of derelict formal gardens with a large stable block for royal steeds.
Savills, 02920 368930 Photograph: Savills