A history lover who grew up near the ruins of a once majestic castle wanted to save it from total destruction, and so offered to buy it from the council for just £1.
Martin Higgins, who holds a master's degree in historic timber-frame buildings, had worked to preserve historic buildings throughout his career, and Betchworth Castle had captured his imagination since childhood.
The castle, which is located in Brockham, Surrey, had once featured in the Domesday Book, and it's said that King Edward I once stayed there.
The castle was later reduced to a "romantic ruin" by the Hope family, who purchased it for the land back in 1835 and removed any non-medieval features.
The district council acquired the castle in 1955 and attempted to rip it down, a move which was blocked by the government, A number of history enthusiasts, including Martin's own mother, pleaded with the council to do more to protect the historic site, aside from putting up railings.
Martin, 60, tried to buy the castle on several occasions but didn't get anywhere with it. Eventually, in 2008, he held a meeting with the council and, after learning they just couldn't afford to preserve the ruin, offered to buy it from them for just £1, with the aim of preserving it himself.
Speaking with The Guardian, Martin explained: "The building was in conservation deficit – meaning the repair cost was greater than market value – but £1 provided a nominal financial consideration for me to be recognised as its new owner.
"On completion, in February 2012, I didn't get the keys to the castle exactly, but I did get the key to a padlock for the railings around it. I secured conservation grants, including £186,000 from English Heritage, and council cash was allocated to scaffold the site.
"Years later, I admitted to my wife I'd spent £29,000 from my own pocket in match funding. We rebuilt the top 18in of the two-and-a-half storey walls, inserted a stainless steel window frame, and repaired the terrace, wrecked in the great storm of 1987."
When Martin first bought Betchworth, the building, which was "at the point of collapse", attracted approximately 7,000 visitors each year. Martin estimates they welcomed around 28,000 people in 2022.
Martin continued: "Locally, I'm known as the man who owns the castle; people like to drop it into conversation. I think they found the idea of buying one for £1 ridiculous, although they're always complimentary about my endeavour."
Going forward, Martin hopes to create an endowment, whereby he would pass the lease on to a preservation trust, ensuring that its "public benefit lives on" for future generations.
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