Invest in this one of a kind property and you can be both King of the Castle and Lord of the Manor.
The Grade II* listed King John’s Castle in The Mythe at Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, doesn’t just come with centuries of history, it also carries a title which is transferred from owner to owner – that of Lord of the Manor of Mythe and Mythe Hook.
The grand prefix doesn’t have the privileges of peerage, although one might like to drop it in when booking a table at an upmarket restaurant.
It does, however, come with the right to ferry people across the river in times of flood, which could be useful should the dramatic scenes of 2007, when both the Severn and the Avon, which meet in Tewkesbury, broke their banks and the town was submerged.
In spite of its thick walls and square tower giving it the look of one, King John’s has only ever been a castle in name, not in nature.
Locally it is referred to as the hunting lodge of King John, perhaps England’s least popular king.
But there have been structures on the site that pre-date John by nearly 1,000 years, going back to Roman times.
The first owner on record is Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror.
Subsequently, Tewkesbury Abbey was believed to have had a free standing chapel on the site.
What stands there now is thought to be the surviving fragment of an earlier house while the reason for its mismatched architecture is that it is a medieval former staircase tower adjoining a Tudor building.
Its Grade II* listing marks it out as being of significant historical interest.
This is the second time it has been featured in Post Property, the first time being before it was bought by the current vendor in 2011.
In their time at King John’s they have refreshed the decor, though they have been governed by the restrictions of the listing which protects it.
Within its stone walls there is an attractive family home with five bedrooms.
The interior is beautifully presented and combines features from medieval times and the 16th century with modern day finishes and comforts.
It is arranged over three levels. On the ground floor there is a drawing room with large fireplace and a dining room.
The main reception rooms face south-west making them wonderfully light.
The fitted kitchen is big enough to accommodate a central island and it has an opening to a breakfast area/family room.
There is also a shower on this level and a utility.
The first floor has three double bedrooms, a generous family bathroom with bath and separate shower, and an en suite shower room to one of the bedrooms.
Heading up to the second floor one finds a sizable master bedroom with enough space for a sitting or dressing area, another double bedroom and a cloakroom with toilet and basin.
The castle is complemented by its secluded gardens that are arranged predominantly to the front and side, with a south-west facing aspect. In addition to the lawn and colourful, well established borders, it offers numerous seating areas and sun traps.
A gated driveway leads to a wide parking area, open bay garaging and garden stores.
In addition to the house, there are two ‘Crane’ garden studios, one of which can be used be used as an office.
Located almost at the end of a no-through lane, King John’s Castle sits in an elevated position high above the Severn Vale and in the hamlet of The Mythe, which is situated just north of Tewkesbury and south of the well patronised village of Twyning.
VIEWING INFORMATION
AGENT: Knight Frank
TEL: 01905 746885
WEB: www.knightfrank.co.uk
GUIDE PRICE: £850,000
