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The allegedly haunted Old Beaupre Castle and Farmhouse goes for sale

Ian Harvey

Everyone wants to live in a castle, right? You could be your very own king, queen, prince, or princess of one castle, however, there is one catch … it’s haunted. As long as you’re all right with living in a haunted castle, it’s all yours for 925,000 pounds.

The castle stands in South Wales and has recently gone on the market. The beautiful medieval structure and its lovely gardens could be owned by one lucky person, as long as it doesn’t bother them that they will have a few invisible people living with them.

The castle, Old Beaupre Castle, and Farmhouse, includes a Grade II-listed home, as well as the adjacent Beaupre Castle, ruins. It has recently gone up for sale. Its price of 925,000 pounds gets the buyer a beautiful five-bed farmhouse with a lovely garden in the back, topped with the Grade I-listed medieval ruins of the castle.

Apparently, the site is haunted. In fact, the hauntings have been documented since Victorian times. Previous owners have said that the castle and its site had its very own phantom.

The oldest part of the ruined manor house is believed to have been dated back to the 1300s. In this area is one of the most important historic homes in the Vale of Glamorgan. Its asking price has dropped quite a bit; the realtor now wants only 325,000 pounds for it instead of the 1,250,000 pounds they were asking only two years ago.

Inner courtyard and Renaissance porch Souce
Inner courtyard and Renaissance porch – By FruitMonkey – CC BY-SA 3.0

The estate agent from Herbert R. Thomas, Sebastian Southwood, said that the castle actually offers a unique and rare opportunity for people to own a part of Vale of Glamorgan history. He added that at his first visit of the mansion, he was overwhelmed with the character of the home and ruins and the calming effect it has on a person.

In fact, many of the original features like the double fronted Inglenook fireplace are still being used. It also conceals a doorway that leads to a stone vaulted store, which adds to the character of the place. This property is perfect for an individual who loves history and wants to be living in a part of the history itself.

Other features that have survived throughout the years is the medieval fireplace plus all of the extensions that were built during the 16th century by the former owners. The first person who owned it was Sir Rice Mansel, followed by the Bassett family.

Old Beaupre Castle Source
Old Beaupre Castle – By Simon Rowe – CC BY-SA 2.0

The interior of the home has oak paneling, flagstone floors, and exposed stone walls. The exterior has a formal garden, paddocks, and an orchard.

According to Alvin Nicholas from Supernatural Wales, the castle was once believed to be haunted by an actual banshee-like ghost. It was given the name gwrach y rhibyn. Nicholas said that she would rise up out of the river next to the castle, wringing her hands and flapping her bat-like wings in the twilight. Sometimes the local workmen saw her wailing and sobbing among the castle ruins.

Today, the farmhouse is set in its own 6.35 acres of land within the quiet Vale countryside. That, itself, is Grade II-listed and dates back to the 14th century.

Source: Capt' Gorgeous/Flickr
Source: Capt’ Gorgeous/Flickr

The farmhouse is a five-bedroom home located in the southeast wing of the castle. There are mixed period features with modern open-plan living, along with outbuildings which include a stone barn and stables.

If someone were to buy this home, the ruins would be managed and maintained by Cadw, the historic environment service of the Welsh Government. This service works to protect the historic environment and all heritage sites of Wales. Southwood said that people don’t have access across the land that is linked with the house, only the ruin itself.

The new owner of the castle has the freehold of the residence and also the castle ruin. Cadw will then only have guardianship of the ruin in order to maintain it for the benefit of the public.

Ian Harvey

Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News