Eastnor Castle was built 100 hundred years ago to provide a luxurious country retreat in Herefordshire, England. Robert Smirke, a well known victorian archirtect, who also worked on the British museum, amongst other high profile commissions, laid out the designs to ensure that a true fairy tale castle was created in the middle of a large estate. Inside the castle each guest room has a unique theme matched to the decor. In addition to this there are many treasures which have been collected over the years including one of the finest collections of medieval armour in Europe. The owners of Eastnor needed to find a way to pay for upkeep and maintenance so that the buildings and grounds could not just be maintained but also improved. To do this they started by offering society weddings which would take advantage of the superb settings available within the castle and the grounds. From here they branched out to offer corporate entertaining and large scale special events such as the annual Big Chill music festival. Guests are offered their own choice of outdoor activities which can range from 4 wheel drive adventures through to family days out watching the herd of deer which graze on the grounds. When these activities were combined with a high profile on the internet they found customers arriving from all round the world and many kept coming back. This success has enabled money to be reinvested in facilities in a manner which is sympathetic to the history of the castle and Eastnor can now look forward to a secure future. |
