Lord Egerton Castle

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Lord Egerton Castle
Lord Egerton Castle front view.jpeg
Kenya adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Kenya
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeCountry house
Architectural styleColonial
Town or city Nakuru
Country Kenya
Coordinates 0°16′30″S35°58′20″E / 0.2749°S 35.9722°E / -0.2749; 35.9722
Named forMaurice Egerton, 4th Baron Egerton
OwnerEgerton University
Grounds100 acres (0.40 km2)
Website
www.egerton.ac.ke/places-of-interest

Lord Egerton Castle is a former English colonial Lutyens-era [1] country house at Ngata, 11.5 km N-E of Njoro and 12 km west of the historic centre of Nakuru, [2] in Kenya. Its name derives from what is said to be its resemblance to a fortress. [3] [4] [5] The house was built on his 120,000 acre [6] Kenyan estate by the English aristocrat and land owner Maurice Egerton, 4th Baron Egerton [7] [8] [9] (1874-1958) (known in Kenya as "Bwana Lordy" (Sir Lordy")) [10] of Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire, England, using the local British firm of Brown & Jenkins of Nakuru, Engineers and Contractors, established in 1925 and employing about 140 people, of whom the partners were Albert Brown, an engineer, and William Jenkins, an architect. [11] The house was largely completed by 1938, as is evidenced by the sculpted datestone above the front door inscribed "1938" with the coat of arms of the Egerton family above. [12] Construction continued until 1954. In 1996 the Castle was officially listed by the Minister for Home Affairs and National Heritage as a monument under the Kenyan "Antiquities and Monuments Act". [13] [14] The castle was opened to the public in 2005 and is managed by nearby Egerton University, [7] [15] at Njoro, founded by Lord Egerton on his estate as an agricultural college for the training of European settlers. [16]

Contents

The castle has 52 rooms, which includes:

Location

Lord Egerton Castle is located off Nakuru- Kisumu highway in Nakuru, Kenya.

Description

The foundation of castle was laid in 1938 by Maurice Egerton, 4th Baron Egerton. It is found in a serene environment with swelling hills and rolling scrubs in the background hence its architecture rises above the landscape. [17] Its construction in 1952 came through a reality that the purpose for which it was built has fizzled out [18]

History

After purchasing the land Maurice Egerton built a small first house. While living in the first house the second house with four bedrooms was built. During this period Lord Egerton was courting a blond English lady by name Victoria and was keen to settle with her. The lady however turned down his proposal on account of what she referred to as a dwelling not befitting of her taste and standard. She would even refer to the house as a “chicken coop”.This prompted Maurice Egerton to construct the imposing castle in 1938 supposedly to impress the lady, who for the second time turned down his marriage offer. With the interruption of the Second World War the construction went on for sixteen years with its completion in 1954. Upon refusing to marry Mr. Egerton, Victoria took off immediately to England. With this humiliation, a distraught and angry Lord Egerton made a monumental resolution: never to engage women in his life and never to marry. No woman was to be allowed into his home for whatever reason. His friends and farm workers were compelled to leave their wives or girl friends at the gate whenever they wanted to see Lord Egerton. In his will Lord Egerton stated that the agricultural college he had founded was to be a male only institution and his wishes were granted for several years until the government of Kenya under pressure of lack of educational facilities directed admission of women into the college and subsequently expanded the institution to present day Egerton University. Intentionally and as per his wishes the authorities retained his name: naming the college and its expansive estate after Egerton. Lord Maurice Egerton stayed in the castle for only four years until his death in 1958 aged 83 years. In his will he bequeathed a 12,000 acre farm (and possibly also Egerton Castle) to his long-serving land agent and farm manager Hugh Cameron Coltart (1892-1963) [19] [20] [21] and a further 3,000 acres to the Egerton Agricultural College, Njoro. [22] On his death bed Lord Egerton was attended by a total of eighty medical personnel and care givers largely drawn from Britain. The castle has received legions of visitors who marvel at this vestige of colonial opulence.

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References

  1. ↑ The angular stone bow window of the central section possibly resembles parts of Castle Drogo in Devonshire, England, built between 1911 and 1930 and designed by Edwin Lutyens
  2. ↑ 11.75 km west of the railway station at Nakuru
  3. ↑ "Lord's castle of love and hate". The Standard. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
  4. ↑ "Lord Egerton Castle". www.nakuru.co.ke. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
  5. ↑ The angular stone bow window of the central section possibly resembles parts of Castle Drogo in Devonshire, England, built between 1911 and 1930 and designed by Edwin Lutyens
  6. ↑ "(Lord Egerton) joined the forces at the outbreak of World War 1, serving in the Royal Navy. He was then eligible, under the soldier-settler scheme, to apply for land in Kenya, where he settled in 1920 ...... He was granted land at Ngata. Later he bought a 120,000 acre farm at Njoro, where he developed a flock of 25,000 sheep and 2,500 cattle. This farm was managed by Hugh Coltart", quoted from Christine Nicholls ,Old Africa magazine online Apr 2023, Egerton: the Lord, the Farm, the College and the University (www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk)
  7. 1 2 "Lord Egerton's magnificent castle". Business Daily. 15 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "Lord Egerton's Castle: A Monument to Unrequited Love - Owaahh". Owaahh. 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
  9. ↑ "A recluse's castle that now hosts thousands of visitors". Daily Nation. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
  10. ↑ Curtis, Arnold (ed.), Memories of Kenya – Stories from the Pioneers, 1986, p.97: " 'Kipkebe' by Agnes Shaw - 'Among the bachelors who came most frequently to our house was Hugh Coltart, who ran Lord Egerton's home farm for many years and became Bwana Lordy's right-hand man." quoted in www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk
  11. ↑ Macmillan, Allister, Eastern Africa and Rhodesia, 1930, quoted in www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk
  12. ↑ See image File:Lord Egerton Castle Nakuru, Kenya 06.jpg
  13. ↑ Gazetted in April 1996 "The Kenya Gazette" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  14. ↑ Text: "LORD Egerton CASTLE: A11 that building on plot No 5627, known as Lord Egerton Castle, sltuated on Ngata Farm, Nakuru District, Rift Valley Province, G/N 342/1996 Dated the 25th March, 1996, F P L LOTODO, Minister for Home Affairs and National Heritage"
  15. ↑ "Egerton University Places of Interest" . Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  16. ↑ https://arc.egerton.ac.ke/about/castle
  17. ↑ Mutulu, Frank (2014-12-05). "Lord Egerton Castle: A Legacy Of Unrequited Love". AFKTravel. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  18. ↑ "Lord's castle of love and hate". The Standard. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  19. ↑ Inscribed gravestone of Hugh Cameron Coltart, Nakuru North Cemetery
  20. ↑ Curtis, Arnold (ed.), Memories of Kenya – Stories from the Pioneers, 1986, p.97: " 'Kipkebe' by Agnes Shaw - 'Among the bachelors who came most frequently to our house was Hugh Coltart, who ran Lord Egerton's home farm for many years and became Bwana Lordy's right-hand man. Out of gratitude Lord Egerton when he died left him all his Kenya estate, which I believe consisted of a large parcel of land, and equally large overdraft and a castle which he had built for himself, but seldom occupied, at Njoro." quoted in www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk
  21. ↑ Jersey Archives (Channel Islands): Copy from the District Probate Registry, Winchester of the Will and Testament of Constance Huston Jones, widow of Hugh Cameron Coltart, of PO Box 82441, Mombasa, Kenya. Dated 26/02/1973. Reference: D/Y/B1/210/15. Date: August 23rd 1974
  22. ↑ Joelson, F.S. (ed.), East Africa and Rhodesia (weekly journal) - 4/9/58, quoted in www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk


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