A prime listed building dubbed ‘the Welsh Versailles’ has been auctioned for £950,000.
Kinmel Hall, near the village of Abergele in Conwy, has been named among the UK’s 10 most endangered Victorian and Edwardian structures in the past, and there are still concerns about its future.
The sprawling mansion and supporting buildings are in desperate need of a major renovation to save them from dereliction, with parts of the building already crumbling.
The indicative price was £850,000 and it is reported that three bidders were trying to buy the building. Allsops auctioneers said the prospective buyer was local to the area.
(Image: Allsop)
(Image: Allsop Auction House/Rightmove)
For the past 10 years, Acer Properties Ltd, registered in the British Virgin Islands, has owned the building but has done nothing with it and there are growing fears that the condition of the building is rapidly worsening. See more photos from inside the building here.
The current hall is said to be the third version to have been built on the Kinmel estate and was built around 1874-1876 by owner Hugh Roberts Hughes with profits from a copper mining business in Anglesey.
The vast main building was designed by architect WE Nesfield and the neo-Palladian stable in the park is a creation of architect William Burn, completed in 1850.
(Image: UGC)
Even the gardens had time and budget, with Nesfield’s father designing a Venetian-style garden in the heart of the park.
The property is considered Wales’ incredible and beautiful version of the Palace of Versailles near Paris, easily earning a Category I listing for its distinctive design and ornate period features.
The property even received the Royal Seal of Approval as it is said to have been visited by Queen Victoria in 1870. During her stay, the Queen presented carved wooden panels to be added to the estate, but these were reported as having been stolen. construction site in 2013.
Throughout its history, as well as being one of the most impressive private residences in Wales until 1929, this spectacular French chateau-style building has served as a spa, military hospital and conference center , but it has been empty since 1999.
