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Airdrie Castle | |
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National Monument | |
Location | south of Koningstad, Cape Cross Parish |
Type(s) | Historical |
Selected | 1952 |
Airdrie Castle is a large country estate that belonged to the Carrington family. Located in Cape Cross Parish, outside Koningstad, Brunant, it was the home of James Carrington and his descendants.
The castle is located east of the newly-constructed Vigana quarter and west of Florentine Park.
History[]
This stately palace was built between 1787 and 1799 and was styled like a 14th century castle. Much of the interior decorations were brought over from James Carrington's manor house in Scotland. French architect Alexandre de Villiers was hired to design and preside over the construction of the house and his Brunanter assistant van Hout was in charge of designing the gardens.
Carrington moved into his home in 1797. When he died in 1802, his son David James Carrington became its owner. In 1807, however, Carrington was put under partial house arrest at 8 Koningstraat in the capital. The castle was expropriated by the government, but returned to the Carrington family in 1809, when Carrington was dismissed as president following the 1809 coup. Sine Carrington was banned from the Koningstad region, he was unable to visit his estate. The family therefore sold it in 1812, since they moved to the much smaller Carrington Palace in Newport, Carrington.
The house had several wealthy owners until 1948, when it was sold to the government. In 1952, it became a National Monument. After some renovations, it opened in 1955 as a non-profit museum, which operates to this day. It is also a popular place for weddings and other events.
Museum[]
The museum is open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 5:00. Admission fees are 6€ per person, or 5€ for children and elderly. The funds go towards the care of the house and grounds.