A novel home: follow in the footsteps of Charlotte Brontë in this £1.2m flat in Lancashire's Thurland Castle

An Englishman’s home might truly be his castle, but in real life, historic buildings are often too vast and draughty for most of us to be able to afford the maintenance and heating bills.

But how about a share in a castle, boasting not only all mod cons but also a library and 10 acres of grounds that Charlotte Bronte roamed in?

This four-bedroom, duplex apartment in Grade II-listed Thurland Castle in Lancashire lies between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales national parks and, at £1.275m is the same price as a two-bedroom flat in Brook Green.

The apartment, aptly named The Library, covers over 5,000sq ft and includes a secret spiral staircase from the library room to the dining room, while the castle’s original silver store lies behind a cast-iron door.

As well as the shared grounds, which include a tennis court, the apartment has a wraparound terrace with wonderful views of the grounds and is spacious enough for grand al fresco dinner parties.

Downstairs lies a modern fitted kitchen, a 24ft morning room with window seating and a door to the terrace, a 32ft dining room complete with marble fireplace and a utility room. A ground-floor bedroom overlooks the courtyard.

A grand staircase takes you to the property’s most talked about feature — the 37ft by 34ft library and drawing room, complete with floor-to-ceiling bookcases, stained-glass windows, chandeliers and two bay windows from where you can read in peace overlooking the grounds.

A HISTORIC HOME

Thurland Castle, which retains its original dry moat, was built in the 11th century by Sir Thomas Tunstall but was almost completely destroyed during the Civil War by Oliver Cromwell’s troops.

In 1809, the North family took on the restoration of the castle, with the help of Sir Jeffrey Wyatt, nephew to Windsor Castle architect James Wyatt.

Charlotte Brontë frequently visited the house on her way to and from church while she was studying nearby in Leck.

Most of the restoration work was destroyed in a fire in 1876 before an industrial family, the Lees, bought it in 1885 and made more changes inspired by art critic and philosopher, John Ruskin, who was a regular visitor.

It was very recently converted and is now home to seven apartments, each with a share of the property’s 999-year lease.

It should be mentioned that although one of the benefits of not owning an entire castle is not having to employ a retinue of staff, upkeep on the building and the grounds is an expensive business, meaning that maintenance fees are £1,600 a quarter.

However, would-be owners do have a say in the future of the castle and grounds because they are automatically given a place on the estate management team.

Although no teams of archers defend the castle from the battlements today, access is defended from unwanted guests by secure electric gates.

The nearby village of Tunstall has a couple of pubs, while Kirkby Lonsdale is a pretty market town with plenty of shops.

Should you wish to escape your literary enclave in the countryside, the M6 is 15-minute drive, while Lancaster is just 12 miles away from where trains to Euston take just two and a half hours.

The Library is for sale with a guide price of £1.275m through EweMove