Dream castle up for sale for just under £3m

Do you keep nearly £3m spare in your back pocket in case your dream castle comes up for sale?

In that case the answer to your prayers may be far closer than you first think.

The Castle, at Castle Eden, near Peterlee, is on the market for £2,990,000 in what is described as "a magnificent residential opportunity".

Dating back around four centuries, the three-storey Georgian property comes complete with 17.5 acres of surrounding park land.

As for the house itself, it includes nine luxury bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a grand reception hall, sweeping staircase, drawing room, dining room, sitting room, games room, study and wine cellars.

A landing area inside the home.

Electronic gates at the front of the property also offer privacy before opening up to reveal a carriage drive and landscaped gardens.

North-East estate agent Urban Base, which is marketing the Georgian home, describes The Castle as both "rare and splendid" and a "magnificent residential opportunity".

Urban Base owner Jan Dale said the current owners have decided to sell because the property is too large for their needs and added that it would suit an "executive family with three or four children".

One of nine luxury bedrooms.

Mrs Dale added: "With an office, it would suit someone professional like a architect who works from home with an occasional visitor for meetings.

"For all that it is a castle and looks quite daunting from the outside and when you first walk in, it is actually homely once you look around inside.

"We have had inquiries already and, given that it's a castle, it is attracting national and international interest rather than just regional inquiries."

A view from the castle over the surrounding countryside.

Originally the site of a manor house, The Castle was commissioned by the Burdon family of merchant bankers and is now a Grade II listed building.

Urban Base was founded by Mrs Dale 13 years ago in Durham and also has an office in Newcastle.

The company, which describes itself as a specialist in the sale of land and new homes, recently picked up a highly commended award at The Sunday Times Property Awards for its sales work at a new development in Newcastle.

The firm can be contacted on 0845 6431186.