Be King or Queen of Your Own Castle
“Be King or Queen of Your Own Castle” explores the dream of owning and living in a castle, where history and grandeur blend into a unique lifestyle. Discover the allure of castle ownership, from medieval fortresses to luxurious estates, offering a glimpse into majestic living.
Nicole Buckler wants to be the princess of this castle very badly.
Have you always dreamed of owning your own castle? Well if you aren’t scared of a renovation project (okay let’s be honest and call it extreme renovation…almost falling into the category of self-abuse) then the historic Belvelly Castle in Cobh, County Cork could be yours for just €275,000. Which is quite a snip when you take into account just how many tweets of your reno project you could tweet. I’d follow you, that’s for sure.
Belvelly Castle is a historic landmark property located on about a quarter of an acre with panoramic views of Estuary and Belvelly Bridge. Now we all know if you are living on an estuary you get to see fancy birds and stuff. The water body has been deemed a Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive. On the other side of the estuary is a world-class golf course. Other people who aren’t you, would pay to sleep in your gaff and eat your traditional Irish breakfast. So it is a business opportunity as well. And I expect a free invitation, of course.
And while it looks like is in the wilds of the country, it is actually only 20 minutes away from Cork Airport. So you can still access your offshore funds in Singapore very easily.
Once restored, it would boast of a floor area of 4,200sq. ft. This is big. Very big. The Castle would sleep up to 12 people when converted. So you’d better make some friends who don’t mind sponging off you for a while. You might have to chop down surrounding forests to burn in the fireplace to keep the gaff warm. But I think warmth and showing off to visitors is way more important than saving the earth.
And you won’t have to do without your everyday comforts, like food. Close by is Belvelly village, right at the bridge linking Cobh Island to the mainland. I’m sure they sell frozen pizzas like everywhere else.
Planning Permission has been granted to restore the Castle, so at least that nightmarish part of the process is out of the way. But it will be a delicate process: this castle dates from the 13th century, a fine example of a Medieval Fortified Tower House, with the battlements still visible. You can also see mullioned windows, the murder hole, spiral stone staircase and old recesses and rooms. This is all to remind you just how bloody and gruesome medieval times could be. Oh the number of people who have died on the grounds of the gaff must be numerous. But here’s the good news: this place isn’t crumbling to the ground. It is holding strong. So you have a good base to start with.
The castle was built by the Hodnett family, around the 15th century, at a strategic location and much to the annoyance of the more powerful de Barry family, who later seized the castle. In later years it fell into the hands of Queen Elizabeth’s favourite – Sir Walter Raleigh.
If you don’t buy this castle, I will.
Update: The castle has been sold. You can follow the restoration here.
