Stunning pictures show the remains of a ruined castle that was once the home of family to Hollywood blockbuster star Helena Bonham Carter.
Sprawling Dalquharran Castle sits in a South Ayrshire forest in Scotland – just over six miles from the coastal town of Girvan.
It was completed in 1811 and is now a wreck that would likely cost tens of millions to restore.
It is on the market for £800,000 and has been abandoned for 70 years following WW2 as it was too large and expensive to maintain – and now has trees surrounding it and even through it.
The great-grandfather of Emmy award-winner Helena Bonham Carter lived there.
The A-lister is known for her eccentric roles in Corpse Bride, Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – directed by her husband Tim Burton.
Former Prime Minister Herbert Asquith also stayed there.
It was the seat of the Kennedy clan from 1474 and the original castle remained inhabited until the 1700s, when it passed into the hands of architect Robert Adam’s patron, Thomas Kennedy of Dunmore.
Stunning pictures show the remains of a ruined castle that was once the home of family to Hollywood blockbuster star Helena Bonham Carter
Sprawling Dalquharran Castle sits in a South Ayrshire forest in Scotland – just over six miles from the coastal town of Girvan
The interiors were in good condition in the late 1960s, but photographs published in early 2017 confirmed that the interiors were in total ruin – and entry into the building was prohibited for safety reasons
The last owner of the house removed the lead roof of the castle in the 1960s so the owners could declare it as uninhabitable to avoid paying for the building, and it has been left to rot ever since
The last owner of the house, a local merchant named John Stewart, moved into the estate with friends and family but the house was too large and expensive to maintain.
They even removed the lead roof of the castle in the 1960s so the owners could declare it as uninhabitable to avoid paying for the building, and it has been left to rot ever since.
The castle was designated a category A listed building in 1971, its listing describing it as ‘a castle-style mansion by Robert Adam, circa 1790’.
Thomas commissioned Adam to build the new building in 1782, however, due to the architect’s workload, Mr Kennedy did not receive the plans until 1785. It was another 21 years before the massive structure was complete.
The four-storey mansion was expanded by Kennedy’s grandson Francis in 1880, adding wings to both sides of the building to fit his family of nine children.
The family almost faced bankruptcy as a result and were forced to lease the castle and move out for many years until it was sold at auction to the Scottish Youth Hostel Association.
During the Second World War, the Langside School for the Deaf used the building, as did children evacuated from Glasgow to escape the horrors of Luftwaffe bombing.
The interiors were in good condition in the late 1960s, but photographs published in early 2017 confirmed that the interiors were in total ruin – and entry into the building was prohibited for safety reasons.
The great-grandfather of Emmy award-winner Helena Bonham Carter lived there
It is on the market for £800,000 and has been abandoned for 70 years following WW2 as it was too large and expensive to maintain – and now has trees surrounding it and even through it
Former Prime Minister Herbert Asquith also stayed there
During the Second World War, the Langside School for the Deaf used the building, as did children evacuated from Glasgow to escape the horrors of Luftwaffe bombing
The castle was designated a category A listed building in 1971, its listing describing it as ‘a castle-style mansion by Robert Adam, circa 1790’
It was completed in 1811 and is now a wreck that would likely cost tens of millions to restore
The mansion is A-listed and comes with 261 acres of land on which there is also a redundant farmhouse and several outbuildings, including a stable and a cottage
Although it cannot be touched except to restore it, estate agents Retties say there is permission for a golf course and homes on the land, which is located about 50 miles south of Glasgow
The mansion is A-listed and comes with 261 acres of land on which there is also a redundant farmhouse and several outbuildings, including a stable and a cottage.
Although it cannot be touched except to restore it, estate agents Retties say there is permission for a golf course and homes on the land, which is located about 50 miles south of Glasgow.
Retties described the house as an ‘amenity estate with significant heritage appeal and offering huge potential’.
They add: ‘Comprising the medieval ruins of Dalquharran Old Castle and the Robert Adam Dalquharran Castle, productive farmland, mature woodland, fishing on the Water of Girvan and several residential development opportunities.
‘Over the past 30 years or so there have been various planning applications to develop Dalquharran.’
‘The estate has approved planning permission to build a golf course and 60 dwellings and five fractional houses within the wider estate lands.’
