When it comes to love, I know a whole lot!
Okay, you can stop laughing now! Who I'm I kidding? Lemme just be blunt and admit that I honestly know very little about that four letter word.
Moving on swiftly.
One thing I can confidently say I do know, at this point in life, especially after visiting Lord Egerton Castle and getting to learn the history behind it, firsthand from my very knowledgeable tour guide, is that, when a man loves a woman, for real for real... How should I put it?... With all his heart, yeah, I think that sounds better, he will do anything and I mean ANYTHING, whatever it takes, to be with that woman, the woman of his dreams and make her happy.
Cheesy much? Haha! Just for the record, I don't watch soap operas.
If you clicked the link on my previous post and read the article that showed up, I believe we are at par, but for the benefit of doubt, let me get down to the nitty gritty of the castle's history.
Lord Egerton Castle, otherwise referred to as ‘The place where the suitor missed the target’ was built in 1938 by Lord Maurice Egerton Tatton, the fourth and the last Baron Egerton of Tatton in Cheshire, for Lady Victoria to whom he wished to become engaged.
In order to impress her, he conceived of a castle that would have no comparison, at the time, in England or any other country for that matter. Well chopped stones and zinc tiles for the roof were shipped from Europe, the builders from Europe too and Asia. The outcome was a breathtaking mansion, fitted with the most up-to-date mechanical and electrical gadgets.
As the story goes, the lady, an Austrian woman, who Lord Maurice Egerton fell deeply in love with, from the early 1920s, turned down his marriage proposal twice, even after he built her the magnificent castle to woo her. This lead to Egerton’s heart break and move to hate women in his entire life, in fact, so passionate was his hatred for women that he banned them from ever setting foot in his property and put up notices, warning female trespassers of risking being shot on sight. Visitors, including friends, were to leave their wives and daughters 8km away from the castle.
Doorway leading to the castle's ballroom.
All hail! The ballroom!... This was definitely my favorite section of the castle, I mean, look at it, it looks like something out of a classic movie (read: Titanic)
Do not be fooled by the current dilapidated state of the ballroom, it's floor was once covered with colored carpets with gold plating and the shelves by the windows all had clocks and cutlery made of gold.
Vandalism and a long period of neglect has robbed the castle of its former glory.
A portrait of Lord Maurice Egerton
Egerton loved music, so he would invite orchestras and seasoned musicians from far and wide who would entertain him with symphonies.
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Stairway leading to the living room, kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms.
The living room.
For those looking to build their own houses, you can drive down here and borrow some ideas. The interior architecture of the castle is simply impeccable! I really loved the lighting from it's large windows and found it hard to believe that it's almost a century old, yet it looks good as new.
I was standing in one of the bedrooms in the castle which has been turned into a gallery of sorts, showcasing photographs of different people from various communities in Kenya.
Below is what would have been Lady Victoria's bathroom
Below is Lord Egerton's bathroom
What I got from my tour guide is that the bathrooms were made of zinc tiles, they also had defunct electrical machines that would be used to warm towels and dry hair.
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Below is Lord Egerton's bedroom.
If he still hates women, even in the afterlife, then I bet he was least amused when I stepped into his bedroom and had lots of fun taking one-too-many mirror selfies haha!
Thanks to Egerton's absence, I can take a mirror selfie... Using his mirror... Standing in his bedroom... Ha!
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Below is the kitchen area.
There’s a large safe and two food stores behind what you see, one was for imported foods and the other for local products. The kitchen had a mini slaughter-house. The chef would have to shower and perfume himself before cooking Lord Egerton a meal. A doctor would drive from Nakuru twice a day to come inspect his food.
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Stairway leading to the watchtower!!!
Reminiscing about this view as I type this... Aaah!
I didn't take pictures of all the 52 rooms, but still, this is one picture-heavy post! Whew! One interesting fact I should mention is that, all the 52 rooms have doors that are numbered, soooo big as the castle is, you can't get lost in it.
Cinderella was one of my favorite fairytale stories when I was a little girl. So I guess it was sort of like fulfilling a childhood "dream" visiting this castle.
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Overall, I really enjoyed my tour, the scenery, and walking around the gardens. Being in the castle was great and my guide was very fun, professional and knowledgeable. I'm actually interested in returning to the castle someday, but this time, definitely with a close friend and/or family member, I also think it would be awesome to take outfit pictures for my blog while there, maybe in a retro, flowy maxi dress.
I like the fact that Egerton University is doing a great job in maintaining the property and offering professional tours to the public. Lord Egerton Castle today is a shell of its former glory, but still, one cannot help admire its current beauty. It goes to show just how grand the place must have been in its hay days.
There are very few places like this in Kenya and I believe this is a place worth seeing at least once.
Love & Light
Xx
