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Topic:	Purchasing a Castle

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T O P I C R E V I E W
AJR I know that Levan is already King in his own castle, but what about members of COTW putting their heads (and monies) together and buying a castle as a conglomerate. I recently obtained details on Fordell Castle (Ł850,000 in Fife and Lympne Castle (Ł3,000,000) in Kent, but unfortunately both were beyond my meagre means. Dunskey Castle in Dumfries and Galloway went for Ł100,000 in 1999 - how much could the COTW come up with ?
duncan I have to admit your last post was one of a kind. Levan is not the only member that owns a castle and there are many others for sell on the net. As to a conglomerate, i wish you the best of luck.
Peter Over the last 3\4 years in the News-Review column in Postern, I have mentioned many castles for sale (details sent in by readers), some for Ł30,000 (even less). That is the easy bit. Main problem after the money is someone trustworthy to be on site whenever.
Knowing what needs\should be done, and actually doing it are miles apart. I have been in the building trade for over 40 years (not as builder). You don't get things done as they should be done on a budget. Buying a castle would only be the first millstone to hang around ones neck.
You can pick them up for a song in old East Germany. They can't get rid of them.
duncan I agree, i've been relearning construction from the castle side for years. One of our members Savoy had problems with getting his help to use the proper materials while rebuilding his tower house in Ireland.
The cost depends alot on if a person wants a completed castle or a project and their are more of those then the former.
I'm sorry this doesn't help much with your question.
AJR Duncan
On the contrary, all posted replies are helpful. I wanted to see what sort of response such a suggestion might elicit.
Peter
Thanks for the tips. I will naturally consider all angles before considering taking on any ventures of this kind.
My hope would be to own / part own a piece of land with a ruined (British) castle on it (in my dreams, perhaps), rather than have the problem of rebuilding or maintaining one for living purposes. I guess that this too would have its setbacks, and heritage organisations would probably insist I maintain it without it crumbling away further.
Philip Davis There are quite a number of English castle ruins which are looking for someone to buy them to maintain them as ruins. Cooling Castle in Kent is one I recall from the top of my head. You are right that English Heritage (The body with responsibilty for preserving the built heritage of England) would require the ruin to be maintained but they also provide expert advice and grants towards this so that the cost, whilst not being zero, could be less than you anticipate (plus other funding from the EU and others may be available.)
The number of people who just want a ruin is very limited. Several years ago the very ruinous Bow and Arrow castle was brought for just one pound sterling.
------------------
And the astronomyours beheldyne the constellacions of hys bryth by thare castle, and foundyn that he sholde bene wyse and curteyse, good of consaill
Secreta Secretorum
http://www.castlesontheweb.com/members/philipdavis/index.html

AJR I believe Cooling Castle was also sold for one pound sterling, possibly last year. (I think I have a newspaper cutting on this somewhere - will try and search it out).
Meanwhile, I'll keep my ears and eyes open.
Andrew
Peter Hi Andrew,
we have exchanged a few e-mails, though not on this subject. And I know many people have this dream. Sixteen years ago I applied for the job as custodian at Chirk Castle (not too many miles away). It frightened me to death when I made it to the last four (out of well over 100). Perhaps to my relief I didn't get the job.
Instead we bought a potters cottage dating from about 1840. I shudder to think on the monies we have spent here in the last 15-years. Maintainence on any property (as we all know too well) is staggering, and the older it gets, the worse it is.
But it can be said there is a great pride when people comment on how lucky we are to have such a place. If they only knew at what cost !
Peter
AJR Re. Cooling Castle - I looked through my newspaper cuttings, only to find my info. re price was incorrect. Apparently a cross-party group of Medway councillors set themselves up as "Cooling Castle Trustees", hoping to prevent the castle falling into private hands. They made an offer of one pound sterling, hoping to keep the castle as an asset for the people of Medway. However, the castle was sold for an undisclosed sum, probably between 50,000 and 100,000 pounds sterling, to an un-named individual. (December 1999)
Philip Davis Those interested can look at http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=002781763226378&rtmo=VkxFFG1x&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/00/2/19/tocastle.html
(I'm not sure if you can directly get to this link if not go to http://www.telegraph.co.uk register for free and then use the search facility and look for Cooling castle)
------------------
And the astronomyours beheldyne the constellacions of hys bryth by thare castle, and foundyn that he sholde bene wyse and curteyse, good of consaill
Secreta Secretorum
http://www.castlesontheweb.com/members/philipdavis/index.html

Peter Latest edition of the C.S.G. Newsletter, gives the buyer of Cooling, as none other than a Mr. Jools Holland.
Also the fact that Spain is in the midst of a Castle buying craze.
Does say .. Spain has 6,500 castles, though only about 50 are inhabited. About 40 sites changed hands last year, and the same is expected this.
At the bottom end of the scale a buyer paid Ł13,000 for a ruin at Arbeteta. One guy is actually on his third castle !
All sounds jolly good to me.
Levan For an alternative to joint ownership in the normal sense, take a look at the "Keeper of the Key" scheme being operated at Baltersan castle: http://www.baltersan.com/
Levan
stormboy HI, my wife and i are looking at purchasing a castle, but as we are based in Australia our searches are limited to the internet and the few sites we know. Does anyone know of any other ways to find out about these castles for sale even any sites that we may have overlooked? So far we have searched Britain, Ireland, France and Germany.

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T O P I C R E V I E W
AJR	I know that Levan is already King in his own castle, but what about members of COTW putting their heads (and monies) together and buying a castle as a conglomerate. I recently obtained details on Fordell Castle (Ł850,000 in Fife and Lympne Castle (Ł3,000,000) in Kent, but unfortunately both were beyond my meagre means. Dunskey Castle in Dumfries and Galloway went for Ł100,000 in 1999 - how much could the COTW come up with ?
duncan	I have to admit your last post was one of a kind. Levan is not the only member that owns a castle and there are many others for sell on the net. As to a conglomerate, i wish you the best of luck.
Peter	Over the last 3\4 years in the News-Review column in Postern, I have mentioned many castles for sale (details sent in by readers), some for Ł30,000 (even less). That is the easy bit. Main problem after the money is someone trustworthy to be on site whenever. Knowing what needs\should be done, and actually doing it are miles apart. I have been in the building trade for over 40 years (not as builder). You don't get things done as they should be done on a budget. Buying a castle would only be the first millstone to hang around ones neck. You can pick them up for a song in old East Germany. They can't get rid of them.
duncan	I agree, i've been relearning construction from the castle side for years. One of our members Savoy had problems with getting his help to use the proper materials while rebuilding his tower house in Ireland. The cost depends alot on if a person wants a completed castle or a project and their are more of those then the former. I'm sorry this doesn't help much with your question.
AJR	Duncan On the contrary, all posted replies are helpful. I wanted to see what sort of response such a suggestion might elicit. Peter Thanks for the tips. I will naturally consider all angles before considering taking on any ventures of this kind. My hope would be to own / part own a piece of land with a ruined (British) castle on it (in my dreams, perhaps), rather than have the problem of rebuilding or maintaining one for living purposes. I guess that this too would have its setbacks, and heritage organisations would probably insist I maintain it without it crumbling away further.
Philip Davis	There are quite a number of English castle ruins which are looking for someone to buy them to maintain them as ruins. Cooling Castle in Kent is one I recall from the top of my head. You are right that English Heritage (The body with responsibilty for preserving the built heritage of England) would require the ruin to be maintained but they also provide expert advice and grants towards this so that the cost, whilst not being zero, could be less than you anticipate (plus other funding from the EU and others may be available.) The number of people who just want a ruin is very limited. Several years ago the very ruinous Bow and Arrow castle was brought for just one pound sterling. ------------------ And the astronomyours beheldyne the constellacions of hys bryth by thare castle, and foundyn that he sholde bene wyse and curteyse, good of consaill Secreta Secretorum http://www.castlesontheweb.com/members/philipdavis/index.html
AJR	I believe Cooling Castle was also sold for one pound sterling, possibly last year. (I think I have a newspaper cutting on this somewhere - will try and search it out). Meanwhile, I'll keep my ears and eyes open. Andrew
Peter	Hi Andrew, we have exchanged a few e-mails, though not on this subject. And I know many people have this dream. Sixteen years ago I applied for the job as custodian at Chirk Castle (not too many miles away). It frightened me to death when I made it to the last four (out of well over 100). Perhaps to my relief I didn't get the job. Instead we bought a potters cottage dating from about 1840. I shudder to think on the monies we have spent here in the last 15-years. Maintainence on any property (as we all know too well) is staggering, and the older it gets, the worse it is. But it can be said there is a great pride when people comment on how lucky we are to have such a place. If they only knew at what cost ! Peter
AJR	Re. Cooling Castle - I looked through my newspaper cuttings, only to find my info. re price was incorrect. Apparently a cross-party group of Medway councillors set themselves up as "Cooling Castle Trustees", hoping to prevent the castle falling into private hands. They made an offer of one pound sterling, hoping to keep the castle as an asset for the people of Medway. However, the castle was sold for an undisclosed sum, probably between 50,000 and 100,000 pounds sterling, to an un-named individual. (December 1999)
Philip Davis	Those interested can look at http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=002781763226378&rtmo=VkxFFG1x&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/00/2/19/tocastle.html (I'm not sure if you can directly get to this link if not go to http://www.telegraph.co.uk register for free and then use the search facility and look for Cooling castle) ------------------ And the astronomyours beheldyne the constellacions of hys bryth by thare castle, and foundyn that he sholde bene wyse and curteyse, good of consaill Secreta Secretorum http://www.castlesontheweb.com/members/philipdavis/index.html
Peter	Latest edition of the C.S.G. Newsletter, gives the buyer of Cooling, as none other than a Mr. Jools Holland. Also the fact that Spain is in the midst of a Castle buying craze. Does say .. Spain has 6,500 castles, though only about 50 are inhabited. About 40 sites changed hands last year, and the same is expected this. At the bottom end of the scale a buyer paid Ł13,000 for a ruin at Arbeteta. One guy is actually on his third castle ! All sounds jolly good to me.
Levan	For an alternative to joint ownership in the normal sense, take a look at the "Keeper of the Key" scheme being operated at Baltersan castle: http://www.baltersan.com/ Levan
stormboy	HI, my wife and i are looking at purchasing a castle, but as we are based in Australia our searches are limited to the internet and the few sites we know. Does anyone know of any other ways to find out about these castles for sale even any sites that we may have overlooked? So far we have searched Britain, Ireland, France and Germany.