If you’ve always fancied yourself as something of a princess, then you’ll love this spectacular Grade II listed building just as much as we do. Known as Molly’s Lodge, the property was a former gatehouse to the Weston Park Estate. It was built in 1834 and designed by the well-known architect Edward Blore, who completed John Nash’s design of Buckingham Palace. Now, there can’t be many of us who has the same architect as the Queen!
Complete with corner turrets, embattled parapets, stone mullion windows and a spiral staircase, not to mention a gravel driveway, this limestone building has everything you’d expect of a castle. There's also a huge fireplace in the living room.
And although it is the UK’s smallest castle, it has plenty of space. At 73 sq m, it’s admittedly quite cutely compact, but if the floor plan has you worried, wait till you hear this next bit. You get a whole other property included in the price!
Close to the castle is Molly’s Mews, a detached timber building offering an additional 106 sq m of space. It features a garage, two open-bay carports and a secure home office. Above, and accessed via external stairs, is a self-contained one-bedroom annexe with a living room, kitchenette, double bedroom and bathroom – how perfect would that be when guests come to stay?
The property is being sold by estate agents Savills, who have put it on the market for offers in the region of £550,000. It looks to be in good condition, tastefully decorated and ready to live in. The kitchen seems surprisingly contemporary, too, making this historic property full of modern-day comforts.
Lovers of gardening and the great outdoors will be thrilled by the lawns, orchard, ornamental pond and vegetable patches.
In terms of location, the castle is on the borders of the Cotswolds and Warwickshire, where it’s surrounded by beautiful countryside and picture-postcard villages. And it’s not even that far from Oxford or the capital if you fancy a dose of city life (the train takes about an hour and three quarters from nearby Moreton-in-Marsh).
Read more: The historic mansion wing that costs less than a London flat | Want to live in a doll’s house? This one is on the market for £250,000
When you consider that a small London flat could cost you the same price, we know we’d prefer a compact country castle any day – and the occasional train ride to the big smoke would be just fine with us! Here’s to being queen of our very own castle!
All pictures courtesy of Savills
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