Castles · South East England
Pennsylvania Castle
Pennsylvania Castle — castle in Portland, Dorset, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Weymouth · 8.7 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Pennsylvania Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1800. Designed by James Wyatt. Heritage designation: Grade II listed building. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in Portland, Dorset, England, UK". Coordinates: 50.5389°, -2.4304°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Pennsylvania Castle is a Gothic Revival mansion on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is located in Wakeham and overlooks Church Ope Cove. The castle is Grade II Listed, as is the adjacent gatehouse and lodges, which are now in separate ownership. After becoming a hotel in 1950, the castle reverted to being a private residence in the 1990s. It is now hired out for functions and events, and is Portland's most expensive residential property. The castle, built of Portland stone, was originally a rectangular block until it was extended in the 20th century.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Isle of Portland SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Pennsylvania Castle is a Gothic Revival mansion on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is located in Wakeham and overlooks Church Ope Cove. The castle is Grade II Listed, as is the adjacent gatehouse and lodges, which are now in separate ownership. After becoming a hotel in 1950, the castle reverted to being a private residence in the 1990s. It is now hired out for functions and events, and is Portland's most expensive residential property. The castle, built of Portland stone, was originally a rectangular block until it was extended in the 20th century. It also has projecting corner turrets, embattled parapets and a circular tower.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The castle was built in 1797-1800 to designs by the architect James Wyatt for John Penn, Governor of Portland and grandson of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. Penn discovered the area on one of his trips with King George III, and subsequently chose it for a marine mansion. King George III's daughter Princess Elizabeth officially opened the mansion in 1800. A few years later, Penn had a bath built below the gardens of the castle, during a time when sea bathing was popular. However, when it was completed, Portland's Court Leet demanded rent for its use as it was built on common land. Penn refused to pay and the bath was abandoned. The castle later appeared as "Sylvania Castle" in…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.5389, -2.4304
- District
- Dorset
- Parish
- Portland
- Postcode
- DT5 1HZ
- Parliamentary constituency
- South Dorset
- Phone
- +44 1305 821804
- Established
- 1800
- Nearest railway station
- Weymouth — 8.7 km
- Official site
- www.thepennestate.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q7163680 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Pennsylvania Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Pennsylvania Castle - geograph.org.uk - 527899.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Pennsylvania Castle?
- Pennsylvania Castle is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode DT5 1HZ), in the parish of Portland.
- When was Pennsylvania Castle built?
- Built or established in 1800. Designed by James Wyatt.
- Who owns Pennsylvania Castle?
- Pennsylvania Castle is owned by | current_tenants =.
- Is Pennsylvania Castle a listed building?
- Pennsylvania Castle is officially recognised as Grade II listed building listed.
- Is Pennsylvania Castle a protected site?
- Yes — Pennsylvania Castle is part of the Isle of Portland SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Does Pennsylvania Castle charge admission?
- Pennsylvania Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.