From the Western Mail, 15th March 2007

16th century castle goes on sale for £55k

First-time buyers hoping to step onto the property ladder wouldn't usually consider a historic castle within their budget. But they could do worse than to look at Boverton Castle in Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, which is to be sold for the not-so-princely sum of £55,000.

The former 16th century mansion will go under the hammer at the end of the month and the guide price has been set at between £55,000 and £80,000.

Although not in particularly good repair - the estate agent describes it as 'the remains of the former Boverton Castle' - it does have its own grounds of approximately 0.94 of an acre. And for a buyer with enough vision it could just be the renovation project that dreams are made of. All that is left standing is the shell of the castle - with no roof, windows or interior.

Philip Thomas, who is handling the sale at Herbert R Thomas estate agents, said they were not aiming at one particular type of buyer.

'It could be somebody who is in love with old buildings, it could be someone who wanted to do something in the field and live close to the castle,' he said. 'Or it could be an investor - there's so many people out there, it's difficult to tell who might buy it. All I can say is that it has already created some interest. We had 1,500 hits on the property auction website between Saturday and Tuesday so there are people interested.'

Architect Alan Gillard, of Gillard Associates, said, 'I think it's a fantastic opportunity for development. The planning authorities should be supporting this sort of work because unfortunately the castle is going to rack and ruin. I've had a couple of people ask me what could we do with it and there are fantastic opportunities. But someone would need to buy it at risk and then probably go through quite a fight to do anything with it.'

And a fight is not all it will take. While the castle itself probably won't break the bank, restoration work certainly would.

Mr. Gillard said, 'It would take someone fairly wealthy to make something liveable but it would have to be done in accordance with the quality of the site. How much it would cost is anybody's guess but I would say six figures and possibly more.'

Because of the building's age and historical importance, any work done would need to have the permission of Cadw, the Welsh Assembly Government's historic environment service, and any planning authorities.

An Assembly Government spokesperson said, 'Because of its importance the structure is protected as a scheduled ancient monument and Grade II listed building. This means that any works to the building would first require the consent of Cadw. In the case of ruinous buildings such as this, sustainable reuse can often present the best means by which its future can be secured. In principle, Cadw would have no objections to the potential reuse of such buildings but planning permission from the local authority would also be needed. Grants are available from Cadw for the conservation of such buildings. However, it is clear that even the basic conservation of the remains would be very costly. Therefore, any proposals for the restoration of the building would have to be carefully planned financially.'

The auction at which Boverton Castle is to be sold will take place on Friday, March 30, at 6pm at The Vale of Glamorgan Hotel.

From the BBC Website, 16th March 2007

16th Century castle up for sale

A 16th Century castle is being put up for auction and could be snapped up by a new owner for just £55,000. The cost of developing Boverton Place, in Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, however, could be at least a six-figure sum, an architect has warned. Overcoming planning restrictions because of the mansion's historical status, could also be difficult.

Interest in the auction of the property has been high and there are rumours a TV celebrity is among potential buyers. Details of Boverton Castle and the 0.94 of an acre of grounds surrounding it, went up on the website of Herbert R Thomas on Saturday and has already attracted more than 2,400 hits.

Philip Thomas, who is handling the sale, said: "It's doing quite well. Normally we have about 4,000 hits per auction. We've also had quite a few calls from all sorts of people. People who are interested in old buildings, interested in investments and those interested in sheltering money in land and property."

The same company arranged the auction of Llantwit Major Castle last April but it was called off at the eleventh hour after Welsh heritage agency Cadw called for more talks about its future.

Alan Gillard, principal architect of Gillard Associates in Llantwit Major, has already been contacted by several people wondering what kind of development would be possible at Boverton Place.

"It's a great opportunity for somebody," he said. "The trouble is, with planning laws as they are, it would be a severe problem for any development on that site.

TV celebrity

"I suspect that's why it's at such a reasonable price - especially with almost an acre of land. The fact is that the castle building is a scheduled ancient monument and Grade II listed is very off-putting."

Developing the site would be extremely costly, he said, due to the expense of stabilising the structure and coming up with a high-quality, energy efficient design. Specialist building techniques would also have to be brought in. Mr. Gillard also joked that there were rumours that a celebrity with her own TV show already had her eye on the castle, being auctioned at a guide price of between £55,000 - £80,000.

Impressive ruins

According to folklore, the castle is haunted by the Black Lady who was spotted by men working on the castle in the early 19th Century. She was described as a tall, shadowy figure dressed in mourning clothes.

Boverton Place was built around 1587 by Roger Seys, a land owner and attorney general of Wales. The family moved out in the late 17th Century and it fell into decay in the following century.

Vivian Kelly, from the Llantwit Major History Society, said: "The Seys line ended with a woman who married one of the Joneses from Fonmon Castle, so it went into their hands. They never lived there after that."

The ruins have survived to "considerable height" and are "visually impressive" said a Welsh Assembly Government spokesman.

He said: "In the case of ruinous buildings such as this, sustainable reuse, where feasible, can often present the best means by which its future can be secured. In principle, Cadw would have no objections to the potential reuse of such buildings but planning permission from the local authority would also be needed."

Apparently this castle was sold for £70,000.