Among the chief pleasures of Downton Abbey — ending its six-season run this weekend — is the chance to wander the halls of a grand English manor home (the real-life Highclere Castle stars as the titular estate). But the dreams of traipsing around a stately stone mansion with a medieval provenance need not be relegated to realm of fiction: it turns out there are a surprising number of actual castles available to buy in the United Kingdom. Scroll down to read about four of our favorites and stave off any symptoms of Downton withdrawal.
Property: Craigcrook Castle
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Price: $8.4 million
Located just outside Edinburgh, Scotland, Craigcrook Castle has the kind of ripped-from-a-fairy-tale architectural details (turrets, battlements) that belie its 16th-century origins. The main building is illustrative of the traditional Scottish “Z-plan” style, in which towers are placed at diagonal corners, each protecting two sides of the home. On sale for the first time since 1719, the 16,000-square-foot property also enjoyed a reputation for being a stylish literary destination in the 19th century. Then-owner Lord Francis Jeffrey used Craigcrook to host artistic salons, and the likes of Charles Dickens, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Hans Christian Andersen visited the estate.
Property: Caverswall Castle
Location: Staffordshire, England
Price: $4.2 million
Should you opt to move into Caverswall Castle in Staffordshire, England, keep your fingers crossed that your tenancy is less eventful than that of the original owner, who was driven out during the Norman Conquest. The subsequent owner, Sir William de Caverswall, wisely applied for a “license to crenellate” in 1275, and rerouted river tributaries to create a moat around the main building. Today, it is one of the few remaining moated castles in the United Kingdom. The castle was largely rebuilt in the early 1600s in the Jacobean style. After serving as an asylum to nuns fleeing the French Revolution, Caverswall was purchased by the Wedgwood family in the 1880s, who added a still-intact ceramic ceiling to the library.
Property: Albury Park Mansion
Location: Surrey Hills, England
Price: $4.05 million
Though the grounds of Albury Park Mansion are mentioned in the Domesday Book — think of it as the 11th-century shelter publication of record — the Gothic Tudor architecture of the main building reflects an 1819 renovation at the hands of Augustus Pugin. Famed British architect Sir John Soane also left his mark on the property, creating a distinctive cantilevered staircase in the entry. If you like to entertain, the home has a proven track record for hosting parties: In 1732, Albury Park Mansion hosted the coronation banquet of George III.
Property: Kingstone Lisle Park
Location: Wantage, Oxfordshire, England
Price: £19 million
A 250-acre estate, Kingstone Lisle Park also boasts Domesday Book bona fides — the 1086 text makes note of 31 residents living on or near the present-day property line. The current mansion was built in 1677, but reflects additions made in the 18th and 19th centuries. An unwitting pioneer of the locavore movement, Kingston Lisle Park boasts dedicated partridge hunting grounds and a game larder. If you are interested in making an offer, prepare for a rigorous background check. It’s rumored that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were snobbishly told the home was not for sale when they expressed interest in the property a couple of years ago.
