[imagesource: UK Sotheby’s International Realty]

This sprawling property, currently being used as a hotel, on the market for around $12 million, is practically begging to be converted back into a home fit for royalty.

In a picturesque parkland near England’s Lake District, Appleby Castle is enveloped in a rich history spanning almost a millennia. Over the years, it has even been visited by kings, adding to the property’s grandeur.

For a cool R228 million or so, you can own this piece of history.

UK Sotheby’s International Reality has listed the motte-and-bailey castle, meaning it has a keep (a fortified tower) situated on a raised area of ground called a motte.

Ranulf le Meschin, a Norman magnate who served King Henry I, is believed to have laid the castle’s earliest foundations at the beginning of the 12th century, BusinessInsider notes. Interestingly, though, excavations suggest there may have been a fort on the site going as far back as Roman times.

The castle has also been held by monarchs of both Scotland and England, changing hands multiple times:

“Ceded to the Scots, recaptured by the English, and embroiled in the Wars of the Roses, the castle saw its fair share of turmoil,” UK Sotheby’s International Realty said in a press release provided to BI.

The property is a remarkable piece of history, according to Sotheby’s International Realty.

“The mansion, featuring a Great Hall, staircase, dining room, state bedroom, and other elegant rooms, remains remarkably preserved and is an unparalleled time capsule tucked in some of Britain’s most beautiful countryside,” it said.

Appleby Castle has 22 bedrooms and 19 bathrooms, offering ample space for hosting parties or generating income by listing it as a luxury accommodation.

The State Bedroom, pictured, features a headboard dated to 1590 that was believed to have belonged to Lady Anne Clifford, a wealthy dowager responsible for restoring the castle in the 1600s.

Bloomberg notes that much of the panelling and interior decoration is around 400 years old. As old as it is, it is not without its modern comforts. The property also comes with modern amenities like WiFi, a gym, a hot tub, a sauna, and a games room.

There’s also a 15th-century dining hall, which can seat around 20 people for a banquet:

The current owner told Bloomberg that she will, on occasion, shut down the hotel and “sit in the dining room, which is obviously like Downton Abbey.”

The place would welcome royals, including King Edward I and King James I, once upon a time, but was also home to less illustrious characters when it was used as the county jail of Westmorland, according to the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald.

It’s the oldest surviving building of the castle and is Grade I listed, along with the castle’s main building. This means the buildings are sites of exceptional national, architectural, or historical importance.

[source:businessinsider]