A unit in one of the few castles still standing in London has been put up for sale according to the Wall Street Journal. It was reported the a residence in the Vanbrugh Castle, a structure built around 1720 by Sir John Vanbrugh, has been listed with an asking price of US4.2 million. The castle is located in Greenwich and experts note that it is one of the best-looking buildings from the era to survive.
This Gothic-style mansion features defense towers, battlements, a central tower with a cone-shaped copper roof and just about everything else you would expect to find from a castle. The unit that has been put up for sale features four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a roof terrace and a cellar, the WSJ noted. The castle also has a communal outdoor space with gardens and woodland along with a number of other unique aspects.
“I think that Vanbrugh must have been a little paranoid, because when we moved in we discovered he had dug all sorts of quite spooky escape tunnels running from our cellar and out into the grounds,” owner David Edgar told the newspaper. “Because we had an inquisitive eight-year old at the time, we also got a little bit paranoid and had them bricked up, but there are tunnels in the grounds which still exist.”
The story beyond the castle is as rich as the estate itself. According to the WSJ, the castle was sold sometime after Vanbrugh died in 1726 and a number of residents included a novelist, an engineer and an oil merchant all called the property home at one or another. The house fell into disrepair during the 20th century and was eventually purchased by the Blackheath Preservation Trust who converted the castle into four separate units.
The castle itself is now a heritage building, and it has the highest possible conservation status offered in the U.K. While demand for the unit is expected to be high, buyers will have to be aware of the fact that major changes to the unit will not be approved.
Image: Vanbrugh Castle via www.greenwich-guide.org.uk
