A castle in the English countryside that once housed each of its owner’s four wives in each of its four towers, hit the market last week for offers in excess of £7 million (US$10 million).
Ince Castle, which sits on a 190-acre estate on its own peninsula near Saltash, Cornwall, was built in the mid-17th century by Henry Killigrew, an English diplomat and ambassador.
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Killigrew is thought to have kept four wives—one in each of Ince’s towers—and each was unaware of the others, according to the listing with real estate brokerage Knight Frank. In 1646, in the midst of the English Civil War, Killigrew—a Royalist—surrendered Ince Castle to parliamentary troops.
Somewhat more recently, the castle has been on the receiving end of a series of renovations and alterations. First in the 1920s, under the Arts and Crafts architect Ernest Newton, then again in the 1960s and finally after a serious fire in 1988, the listing said.
The castle is reportedly owned by Simon Lennox-Boyd, 2nd Viscount Boyd of Merton, and his wife, Lady Alice Boyd.
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The castle has 13 bedrooms, guest and staff flats, five reception room, a drawing room, a library and a billiards room. The grounds also hold a secondary house and five staff cottages along with walled gardens, a tennis court and a swimming pool.
"It’s very rare that you get such a good package in such a private location, and, unusually for the South West, the property also owns its own beach and jetty," said Knight Frank’s William Morrison, head of regional farm sales South West.
Ince Castle is Grade I-listed, meaning it is a building of exceptional interest and may not be demolished or altered without special permission.
The Daily Mail first reported the listing.