Own a castle (for just twenty years) for £850,000
Trematon Castle near Saltash in Cornwall is a house that I stayed in about ten years ago when it belonged to a friend of mine’s family. It was sold subsequently and now it is on the market once again.
The freehold of this spectacular property is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and as a result “owners” only get to buy a leasehold interest in it. The current occupants, garden designers Isabel and Julian Bannerman, have lived there since 2012 and spent the last two years creating what The Telegraph describe as a “stunning garden”.
Standing in nine acres of woodland and steep slopes, the property comprises of a small Norman Grade II listed castle, a Georgian house built in 1823 and a two bedroomed lodge. There are eight bedrooms, four reception rooms and seven bathrooms. An outdoor swimming pool has been created within the grounds and previous occupants have included Lord Caradon and his son Paul Foot. During their time there, the then Labour leader Michael Foot was a regular visitor and in 1962 the Queen visited prior to embarking on a trip on the royal yacht, HMY Britannia.
Richard Speedy of selling agents Knight Frank told the Mail Online:
“If you were to buy this specific house on the natural market it would be in the reign of around three million pounds. This is giving someone the opportunity to live in a £3 million house for a fraction of the cost”.
“I expect it will be purchased by someone who is interested in history or who has lived in a big house before. I think it will be bought by someone from London because it has that countryside and waterfront location”.
Of Trematon Castle, John Betjeman wrote that it has:
“One of the most superb views of Cornwall, a Brunel stone viaduct crossing a foreground creek, the Lynher and Tamar estuaries beyond, and the wooded slopes of Anthony”.
He was right: Whomever purchases this £850,000 property will be lucky to own something extraordinary. The only problem? The lease expires in twenty years.
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