Castle for sale UK: 956-year-old fortress used by King’s and Queen’s hits the market - but there’s a catch

Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire is one of UK’s ‘most remarkable ruins’ and property hunters now have the chance to snap it up for a pretty penny.

The 956-year-old fortress, as well as its grounds including a moat and jousting field, is up for sale for £500,000 - the average cost of a detached house. The remarkable property sits on a 29.84 acres plot but there’s a slight catch that may drive away a few customers.

The grounds have to remain open to the public, as English Heritage maintain a right of way for a pathway to the castle.

By law, any property under the guardianship of the Secretary of State must be made open to the public, giving the public access to the castle grounds. The Grade I-listed castle is nestled amongst the Herefordshire rolling countryside and sports the remains of several turrets and key walls.

While most of castle site is overgrown, its grounds have become home to a range of rare plants and wildlife. The site also houses a workshop which can be converted into a two-bedroom living space in a secluded part of the land.

Estate agents Sunderlands describe the castle as a “unique and rare opportunity” to own a piece of English history. They said: “A unique and rare opportunity to acquire the historic Grade I Listed Wigmore Castle and grounds with a planning consent to convert an existing workshop into a two bedroomed dwelling."

Wigmore Castle was founded in 1067 by William Fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford and has close ties to William the Conqueror.

The castle was once the stronghold of the infamous Mortimer family who held it from about 1075 to 1425 when it was passed to the royal family. Wigmore Castle was widely used throughout history by a variety of kings and queens before being dismantled by parliament forces during the Civil War to prevent its use.

It also has links to the War of the Roses because it was inherited by Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, who returned to Wigmore in 1455 to gather a large army for the battle of St Albans against Henry VI’s forces. When conserving the site in the 1990s, English Heritage deliberately retained its wildness, as the castle had become home to rare and unusual species including lesser horseshoe bats