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General & History
Somersditch Castle is on a grand scale and was built in the Norman revival style at the start of the 19th century, by a celebrated young architect of the day. From afar the house was meant to appear like a fortress guarding the Welsh border and it certainly has an authoritative look with its many turrets set against the dramatic landscape of the Malvern Hills. Building started in 1810 and ended ten years later, at a cost in modern terms of around 8.5 million pounds, with huge amounts of stone and mortar, wood and cast iron fashioned into this massive edifice by a work force of 250.
The castle was commissioned by a direct ancestor of the current owner, and the huge means required to undertake such a project was the result of a merging of two great landed families of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. These alliances made by marriage secured the family their position in the ruling classes, and the estate extended to 13,000 acres in its heyday. In those times an obvious indication of the fortune and prominence of any family would be the scale and grandeur of its country seat – Somersditch was intended to echo the stature and character of its masters.
When the family eventually took up residence in the second decade of the 19th century, much of the interior was simply a shell, as so much attention had been paid to the outside. The interior was gradually improved and by 1850 the drawing room had been decorated in high Gothic revival style and there was further ornamentation in the following twenty years, notably in the State Bedroom and Library. The estate fell into impecunious times at the end of the 19th century due to the agricultural depression. By 1920 much of the land had been sold, and the family made a short-term move to Australia, leaving it unoccupied for several years. Hard times also hit in the 1940s with a heavy inheritance tax bill, but a steady restoration programme commenced in 1950.
Today Somersditch Castle stands in a beautiful deer park of 300 acres, with its own arboretum and lakes, and has been renovated to its former glory. This imposing mansion can be rented on an exclusive use basis for private parties, corporate events, weddings and other special occasions.