Step inside Britain’s Ripley Castle, on the market for the first time in 700 years 

For those seeking a home with history, it will be hard to top the Ripley Castle Estate, a sprawling property in North Yorkshire, England, which has been in the same family — the Ingilby baronets — for 26 generations. Centred around a 14th-century Grade 1-listed castle, the property offers as much British charm (think cricket greens, walled gardens and even a tea shop) as it does sheer architectural awe with its imposing stone buildings and stained-glass windows. While the estate has been open to the public for decades (and in the public eye as the setting for the Yorkshire children’s TV series The Flaxton Boys, amongst other television series and films), there is now a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the new steward of the beloved historic site. Occupying 445 acres, the estate is being offered by Christie’s International Real Estate in nine lots, which can be bought as a whole or individually.

The origins of the Ripley Castle Estate date to the early 12th century when Sir Thomas Ingleby married the heiress Edeline Thwenge and acquired the property as part of her dowry. Originally built over a period of 500 years, Ripley Castle uniquely features three architectural styles, reflecting subsequent owners’ additions to the structure during this time. Through the gatehouse, built in the 1450s, and overlooking the Carriage Lawn, is the Old Tower, the 1555 portion of the castle, known for its imposing buttresses and castellated roof. The remainder of the castle was rebuilt in the 1780s and completed by 1786, apart from the coach house and stables, which followed some 24 years later.

Inside, more architectural wonders await. Standout rooms include the Georgian-era Reception Hall, which in addition to its cantilever staircase, features one of the United Kingdom’s best armorial stained-glass windows. The Tower Room features an oak floor which was originally part of the deck of the HMS Rose, an 18th-century 20-gun frigate, while the Knight’s Chamber, with its original oak ceiling and wall panelling, is one of the most spectacular Tudor rooms in the country. Every space, especially the two drawing rooms, offers sweeping views of the estate’s lakes and parks, home to bountiful natural beauty as well as communal events such as concerts, classic car rallies and the Ripley Agricultural Show.

The Castle Apartment is the estate’s extensive private living accommodation, arranged over the first and second floors and approached by its own independent staircase. It includes 11 bedrooms, six bathrooms, three reception rooms, a range of attic storerooms and a two-bedroom caretaker’s apartment. Additionally, the medieval Grade I-listed arched gatehouse, formerly the guardroom and keeper’s lodge, is now arranged as a one-bedroom apartment.

The Ripley Castle Estate situates a village’s worth of amenities, such as the Grade II-listed Boars Head Hotel and Birchwood House Annexe, the Grade II-listed Village Store (which includes an ice cream parlour and adjoining eight-bedroom accommodation) and a cricket ground, leased to Ripley Cricket Club. And with 188 acres of woodland, as well as four acres of walled gardens, including an Orangery and other pavilions, one can truly get lost in nature.