Sally Nightingale said she didn't want to buy Appleby Castle, a 900-year-old building in Cumbria, England.
However, she claims that her then-husband Christopher was a “castle buff” (he already owned two castles), and in 1997 she became the custodian of one of the few remaining intact Norman castles in England. It became.
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She lived there after her highly publicized divorce, eventually converting the nearly 29,000-square-foot, 20-bedroom castle into a hotel in 2013, leaving a 7,750-square-foot wing for private use. (The castle tower, a fortified tower within a castle, is not included in these measurements.)
Nightingale's 27-year tenure in the building was not your typical gilded-rich story. However, she says she has spent a good amount of money on its upkeep.
“It was habitable and orderly,” she said. “But we put a lot more money into it. The castle tower needed to be repaired and reroofed, and that wasn't cheap.”However, living in and maintaining the building, Operating it as a hotel was an ongoing task. So she decided to put the 25-acre castle, castle tower and outbuildings on the market, listing them with Guy Bradshaw of Sotheby's International Realty for 9.5 million pounds ($12 million).
history
The site's defensive structures date back to Roman times, but the current castle tower was built only nine centuries ago.
The castle's most famous owner at the time was Hugh de Morville, a knight who became famous for murdering Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. For much of its history, this northern castle was the site of intermittent wars between England and Scotland (and between them during the Civil War).
The fort was owned by the Clifford family for the better part of 400 years, although it was not always occupied and appears to have been used as a prison for periods of time. It was then taken over by the Thanet family, who owned it for 200 years. He inherited the castle in 1849, and if you include the out-of-wedlock children he passed on to his children, another century passes.
The castle was eventually sold to a company that used the grounds as its headquarters, but the building was also opened to the public. Then, in 1997, the Nightingales bought the place for a reported £1.1 million, closed it down again, and used it as a private residence for 16 years.
property
Nightingale said the castle tower's walls are estimated to be 6 feet thick, but it hasn't been used as a residence since at least the mid-17th century.
The mansion has the requisite saloon, dining room, and bedrooms. On the premises he has three cottages and various storage areas spread out. The property, which Nightingale says is virtually untouched, includes a walled garden and a tennis court. The entire property overlooks the River Eden.
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When Nightingale moved in, the interior was all in good condition and much of the original 400-year-old decorations had been preserved, she says. “There was some furniture, but it wasn't the right era,” she says, explaining that it was mostly Victorian. “So we had to put something in place that matched the real thing that was already there.”
Ms Nightingale said the house now has period-appropriate furniture, which should be kept in the house when it's time to sell, but added: “No matter where I go, there are pieces of furniture I want to keep.'' “There are two.”
She turned the castle tower into a museum called the Norman Center. Its four floors are filled with exhibits linking the castle tower to the history of the Normans, who invaded England from France in 1066 and ruled the country until around 1154. Nightingale warns that stairs are dangerous. “If you are not fit and strong, be careful climbing the stairs. But once you reach the top, you will have a wonderful view of Eden Valley.”)
stay in a castle
According to Nightingale, converting it into a hotel was not as big of a job as you might think, simply because no major changes were allowed to be made to the Grade 1 building. . “People who come here like it because it’s authentic,” she explains. “It was done exactly as it was. Nothing has changed.”
Many of her visitors are foreigners, including Americans fascinated by the fact that George Washington's father and uncles attended Appleby Grammar School. “It's a huge deal. Americans love it,” she says.
Still, she estimates it won't be difficult to convert it back into a private home. In fact, she sometimes closes the hotel and “comes to the main castle and sits in the dining room. It's obviously Downton Abbey-like, which is great.”
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