Pennsylvania Castle

Pennsylvania Castle is a Gothic Revival mansion on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is located in Wakeham and overlooks Church Ope Cove. The castle is Grade II Listed,[1] as is the adjacent gatehouse and lodges, which are now in separate ownership.[2]

Pennsylvania Castle
General information
TypeEnglish country house
Architectural styleGothic Revival
LocationIsle of Portland, Dorset, England
Coordinates50.538514°N 2.430482°W / 50.538514; -2.430482
Construction started1797
Completed1800
ClientJohn Penn
Design and construction
ArchitectJames Wyatt

After becoming a hotel in 1950, the castle reverted to being a private residence in the 1990s. It is now hired out for functions and events, and is Portland's most expensive residential property.[3] The castle, built of Portland stone, was originally a rectangular block until it was extended in the 20th-century. It also has projecting corner turrets, embattled parapets and a circular tower.

History

The castle was built in 1797-1800 to designs by the architect James Wyatt for John Penn, Governor of Portland and grandson of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania.[4][5] Penn discovered the area on one of his trips with King George III, and subsequently chose it for a marine mansion.[6] King George III's daughter Princess Elizabeth officially opened the mansion in 1800.[7]

A few years later, Penn had a bath built below the gardens of the castle, during a time when sea bathing was popular. However, when it was completed, Portland's Court Leet demanded rent for its use as it was built on common land. Penn refused to pay and the bath was abandoned.[8] The castle later appeared as "Sylvania Castle" in Hardy's 1892 novel The Well-Beloved.[4] During World War II, Winston Churchill, General Eisenhower and General de Gaulle visited the castle, where they met to finalise their plans for the Normandy landings.[4]

In 1950, the private residence was turned into a hotel, known as "The Pennsylvania Castle Hotel", which continued to operate into the 1990s.[9] The mansion then reverted to a private house and was sold again in 2011 for £4 million to a buyer from Australia.[10] The castle was then made available as a holiday home, also catering for weddings, private and corporate functions and other events.[11]

References
  1. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1203103)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  2. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1203078)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  3. "Portland castle sells for £3.5million". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  4. Historic England. "Monument No. 868650". PastScape. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  5. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1203103)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  6. Morris, Stuart (1985). Portland: An Illustrated History. Dovecote Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0946159345.
  7. "History | Penn Castle". Thepenn.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  8. "Penn's Bath, Portland, Dorset". Geoffkirby.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2012-05-15. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  9. "Area around Church Ope Cove". Geoffkirby.co.uk. 1935-07-25. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  10. "BBC News - Pennsylvania Castle in Portland sold for £4m". Bbc.co.uk. 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  11. "History - Pennsylvania Castle". Thepenn.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
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