An early-medieval castle in the Lake District area of England with a royal history and a dramatic tower hit the market last week for £9.5 million (US$11.99 million).
Appleby Castle, as it’s known, is a 12th-century residence with 22 bedrooms and stone walls, perched above Appleby-by-Westmorland, a market town in the county of Cumbria. The 25-acre property is a family home with parts of it run as a hotel since 2016. It went on sale earlier this month.
“The castle is a unique relic from the medieval period tucked in a breath-taking landscape,” said Guy Bradshaw, senior director of sales at U.K. Sotheby’s International Realty, the agency selling the property. “It’s very suitable for a family home, but it would also be an amazing country retreat or holiday home for those wishing to escape the bustle of city life, as it’s on the edge of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.”
Appleby Castle, as it’s known, is a 12th-century residence with 22 bedrooms and stone walls.
UK Sotheby’s International Realty
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The castle’s main building is packed with authentic, historic features and furnishings, such as a portcullis entrance that’s radiocarbon dated from 1180, a 13th-century round tower, and a medieval toilet—though there are plenty of modern facilities, including a gym, a hot tub and sauna room, and a games room.
Owner Sally Nightingale, who bought the castle more than 25 years ago, brought up her three children there.
“The castle was like an adventure playground for them, widening their imagination with so much to do in the castle grounds,” Nightingale said.
The castle is full of richly decorated, wood-paneled rooms with large open fireplaces.
A former chapel is now a sitting room with opulent furnishings; the medieval dining room has a log burner; in the state bedroom, walls are hung with 16th-century tapestries; and bedrooms on the third-floor feature 17th-century period decor with four poster beds.
But the most celebrated owner of Appleby Castle was Lady Anne Clifford who lived there from 1649 to 1676.
UK Sotheby’s International Realty
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Surrounding the castle are 25 acres of heritage parkland, home to three stone cottages, roaming deer, a tennis court and a bee keep. It includes a stretch of the River Eden along its boundaries, which offers fishing rights and stocks of salmon, trout and grayling.
Appleby Castle has a Grade I listing, which denotes its great national, architectural and historical importance. It is a motte and bailey castle meaning it has a mott, a defensive building, on high ground, surrounded by a walled courtyard, or bailey.
Unsurprisingly, the castle has a rich history. At one point, it served as a county jail; in the mid 1400s it was owned by Richard II, who was warden of the North before he became king; and during the English Civil War, in 1648 the Royalist army surrendered at Appleby Castle. There were over 1,000 troops, cavalry and officers stationed at Appleby Castle.
But the most celebrated owner of Appleby Castle was Lady Anne Clifford who lived there from 1649 to 1676. She restored the castle to its former glory and repaired the keep’s central structure. Her father sailed the flag ship in the fight with the Spanish Armada and was Elizabeth I’s champion jouster.