Britain’s smallest castle is now for sale — and it’s not particularly expensive.
The good news: You’ll get limestone turrets, a cast iron fireplace, and a winding staircase.
The bad: It’s only a one-bedroom in “the main castle,” plus a guest space in an “outbuilding.”
Also, you’re not getting a lot of land for your money: just over a half-acre.
For the £550,000 purchase price (that’s about $685K), you’d be buying a home with a pedigree, but that comes with its own set of pros and cons. Dating back to the 1830s, it’s a Grade II listed building, which according to British construction codes indicates a structure “of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve them.”
Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, this means you will likely never, ever be able to make Britain’s smallest castle into a slightly larger one, since strict regulations forbid major renovations. (“Carrying out unauthorised works to a listed building is a criminal offence and owners can be prosecuted. A planning authority can also insist that all work undertaken without consent be reversed at the owner’s expense.”) So you’ll be stuck with what you get.
Maybe this castle’s orchard and chicken run, included in the purchase price, will make up for that. Otherwise, buy land and build your own castle.
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