A 947-acre Welsh country estate that comes complete with its own 12th century castle and a limestone quarry is for sale with an asking price of £11.5 million (US$15.8 million).
The Fonmon Estate, near the village of Fonmon in the Vale of Glamorgan—a borough in south Wales—hit the market earlier this month. Since the creation of the estate’s original stone castle in roughly 1180, this will be only the second time in its history that Fonmon has changed hands, according to a news release from listing agent Savills.
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The fortified Grade I-listed castle spans 12,000 square feet. Today the principal rooms of the castle are used as a commercial venue, hosting weddings in particular, while the upper floor serves as a four-bedroom private residence, and the castle’s basement houses a wine cellar.
The estate was last purchased in 1656, when it was sold to Colonel Philip Jones, a Welsh military leader and politician. He was responsible for the addition of a large double-depth wing on the north side of the castle, Savills said.
The next major changes were made some 100 years later by Jones’s great-great grandson, who added additional battlements—to enhance the fortified look of the castle—and more sash windows to improve light levels internally. He also remodeled the interior, according to the news release.
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In addition, the estate is home to paddocks, an orchard, woodland, formal gardens, a watch tower, eight houses and cottages and a limestone quarry. There is an area for apple storage in the castle’s basement.
The estate’s owner is a descendant of Jones, according to Savills.
"Fonmon Castle combines a well documented and impressive history with modern day diversification generating considerable additional income for the estate," said Giles Wordsworth, director of Savills farms and estates team, in the news release.
"The estate, with its varied income streams, could suit an investor in rural property or an owner occupier," he added.