Renting Tickhill Castle

‘….Owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, the castle is about 1,000 years old and has 7 acres of ground, a fishpond, a drawbridge crossing the moat and hot and cold running water in the rooms. An official of the [Retford] auctioneers said yesterday: “The rent is very reasonable but the tenant must be prepared to contribute something towards the upkeep of the castle. We have had about 20 people making enquiries. One man wanted to turn the castle into a hotel, another into a small holding and a third into a garage. The castle has recently been used as a preparatory school and a private residence”’ (‘Birmingham Daily Post’, Thursday, 17 May 1956, page 10.) [The successful applicant, who took up residence in 1957, was John Cavall, (otherwise known as Guy William Hugh Waters) a music adviser for the West Riding, with his wife Rosemary Horstmann. The rent was £3/10/- a week.]