From The Northern Echo, 19th February 2008
Castle and grounds sold for £12.5m, with work planned
A castle has been sold in a deal worth an estimated £12.5m it emerged last night. The new owners of Witton Castle will spend up to £6m over the next few years upgrading the adjoining caravan park and transforming the castle into a hotel, wedding and conference venue, The Northern Echo has learnt.
The 600-year-old castle, in 338 acres of parkland near Bishop Auckland, has been sold by the trustees of Lord Lambton's estate to an East Yorkshire-based company, Marton Hall.
Managing director Neil Willson, from Darlington, said the company would spend £3m to £6m upgrading the castle. He said initially that new roads, 24-hour security and CCTV would be installed, and landscaping would be carried out in the grounds. Work will then begin on upgrading amenities such as bars and a restaurant for caravan owners.
Once that is complete, and in the longer term, Mr. Willson said Marton Hall would seek permission to turn the castle into a hotel and hospitality venue, which may see an extension added to the original building. But he said it would be done sympathetically and in close discussions with council planning officials. The plans could lead to work for 100 people on the estate, which employs nine people during the winter season.
Marton Hall, which recently bought Winston Bridge caravan park, at Ovington, near Richmond, has a £100m portfolio of leisure and tourism properties, including caravan sites, the grade II-listed Marton Hall Hotel and Restaurant, near Bridlington, and Percy Golf and Country retreat, near Morpeth, Northumberland.
Mr. Willson, a former banker, said: "These acquisitions complement our fast-growing existing portfolio. Witton Castle is a major investment and underlines our commitment to supporting leisure and tourism in the North-East. As climate-change concerns lead to more people deciding not to fly overseas for holidays, UK destinations will face greater demand. Our campaign of acquisition and investment aims to help revitalise the employment and economic prospects of the areas of great natural beauty where we operate."
Witton Castle, which dates from the 1400s, has burned down twice - first by Cromwell's soldiers and then by accident - before it was rebuilt in its present form after 1800.