The castle, which was built for under what amounts to $50, is now up for sale.
A British architect who passed away three years ago left his 14th century castle, valued at £1.4 million (just under $2 million) to his gardener, who cared for the property in the owner's later years, MSN reported.
Kay Seymour-Walker, an architect and civil engineer, passed away in 2018 and left the Grade-I-listed, eight-bedroomed Embleton Tower, in Northumberland, England, to his gardener, MSN reported.
The gardener, who does not want to be named, gave such great care to the deceased in his later years that he frequently referred to him as “the son he never had.”
The story has just come out as the gardener is now putting the castle on the market, according to the BBC.
Sam Gibson, who works for real estate company Galbraith, which is handling the sale, sent a statement to the BBC about the property's unusual provenance,
“Widowed and without children, in his later years he came to rely on his gardener, who Mr. Seymour frequently referred to as the son he never had, for daily care and companionship. On his death he bequeathed the entire property to his friend. This is a touching story of friendship and devotion going beyond the ties of family,” he said.
The realtors say that the castle was too much for the gardener to maintain on his own.
“Embleton Tower is considerably larger than his requirements, which presents a superb opportunity for a new owner to modernise and develop the property into an outstanding family home,” he added.
The property was built in 1395, also boasts a conservatory, a library in the original turreted stone tower and is set in 3.5 acres of grounds.
