What if we told you that you could purchase an actual castle for not much more than the average price of a detached home? No, really – you can. Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire is almost 1,000 years old and has just gone on the market for a mere £500,000. And it comes with its very own moat, woodland and jousting field. How cool is that?
Alright, it has to be said that there is a bit of a catch. After an impressive 956 years on this Earth, there’s not a whole lot of actual building left to Wigmore and much of the grounds are overgrown. But there are remnants of a few turrets, a gatehouse and key walls from back when the fortress played host to kings and queens. It’s still easy to see why English Heritage once called it one of the UK’s ‘most remarkable ruins’.
While there aren’t many liveable buildings on-site at Wigmore Castle right now, there could be in the future. Permission has been secured for a workshop on the 29.84-acre grounds to be converted into a two bedroom house, so you will be able to sleep with a roof over your head. A bunch of amenities are also available in the nearby village of Wigmore.
There’s also another major caveat – you’ll have to be okay with tourists and locals wandering through your backyard. English Heritage maintains a right of way for a pathway to the fortress, meaning that the grounds have to be open to the public.
Nevertheless, Sunderlands, the estate agents overseeing the sale, has called it a ‘unique and rare opportunity’. Here are a few pics of the place.
The Grade-I listed castle was founded in 1067 by William FitzOsbern, Earl of Hereford, who was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror. It also played a role in the Wars of the Roses, as it was inherited by Richard Plantagenet and was where he gathered a large army to fight Henry VI.
Keen to be part of this castle’s rich and vast history? You can find more details about the property on Rightmove here.
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