Ravenscliffe Castle is back on the market, for a regal price
Durand mansion has 12 bedrooms, eight bathrooms and a nearly $9M price tag
Does Netflix’s “Bridgerton” have you dreaming of living large?
Does a castle seem like your next move?
Well, you’re in luck — if you have nearly $9 million to spare.
Hamilton’s Ravenscliffe Castle is back on the market.
The three-storey stronghold in the Durand neighbourhood has 12 bedrooms, eight bathrooms, eight fireplaces, a fivestorey tower and more than 12,000 square feet of living space — perfect for lockdown.
If it isn’t the size of the house that causes a double-take, it might just be the price.
Hitting the market on Thursday, the home has been listed at $8.88 million — nearly three times what the castle was listed for back in 2010.
There are two factors driving the increase, said real estate broker Robert Cekan.
First off, upgrades, he said. The kitchen has been completely renovated, there is a wine cellar in the basement, and behind the walls, the electrical and plumbing has been updated.
The second factor is the market. There is an “influx” of people looking to relocate to Hamilton amid the workfrom-home transition brought on by COVID-19, said Cekan. And that’s driving sale prices “far, far above” current asking prices.
“I think the uniqueness, the change of the market and the recent upgrades … has really gotten us to the price that it is,” he said.
‘A living art piece’
The sprawling home built in 1881 was designed by James Balfour, the same architect behind Hamilton’s powerful old city hall on James North, the Scottish Rite and Treble Hall.
There is original carved woodwork throughout the entire house, including its doors, trim and wainscotting. Intricate plaster crown mouldings and painted medallions mark the ceilings.
Some rooms are tied together by ornate fireplaces, high-ceilings and chandeliers, while others are just straight up grand in their size.
With its Scottish Stone exterior, dramatic roof lines, tall windows and “handcrafted” bargeboard all tied together with Romanesque and Gothic style architecture — the home is peak “Balfourian,” said Cekan.
And nowadays, it would be “difficult to recreate.”
“It’s another big factor with this property … it’s steeped in history,” said Cekan. “It’s a living art piece.”
Cekan said the current owners have decided to sell as they’re a small family and the space exceeds their needs — but they’re hoping the next family will “respect” its history.
Sir John Gibson, a provincial politician, best-known for the Gibson Act, which aimed to prevent cruelty to children, was one of its early owners. In 1908 he became Ontario’s lieutenant-governor. In the 1940s, the Sisters of Notre Dame moved in. They turned the living room into a chapel and stayed until the early ’70s.
Cekan said they’re hopeful someone with a “deep love” of the original character will decide to call the castle home — and keep it as a single-family home as opposed to dividing it up for short-term rentals or a bed and breakfast.
The castle is also a registered heritage property, according to the city’s online heritage map.
“It truly is one of a kind,” said Cekan.