I’m A Celebrity castle’s former glory revealed in historic images from property listing in 1946
IT'S the gloomy, damp ruin where famous faces including Jordan North, Vernon Kay and Bev Callard are bunking down for the next three weeks.
But photos showing the former glory of Gwrych Castle in North Wales - the setting for this year's series of I'm A Celebrity - have now come to light.
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A historic property listing for the 19th-century castle shows it as an elegant estate, with weaponry on the walls, quaint dining tables and stylish furnishings.
The castle - which many claim is haunted - was listed for auction in July 1946 by owners the Dundonald family, ending nearly 100 years of continuous family ownership.
Auctioneers at that time referred to the building as ‘The Well-known Picturesque Castle’, and say it was built by Lloyd Bamford Hesketh in the Regency Period - ‘costing a fortune’.
It was eventually sold for £12,000 to a Mr JR Rennie of Wrexham.
A report from a newspaper from the time said "he intends to live there" and that "the sale attracted one of the largest crowds seen at an auction in North Wales for many years".
But the Grade I-listed fortress has since fallen into dereliction after decades of attempts to turn it into a hotel or tourist attraction.
The auction document, sent out to entice bidders a year after the end of the Second World War, says: "The magnificent 19th-century castle and estate, which is based near Abergele in Conwy, was built more than 100 years ago between 1812 and 1822.
"It been preserved to an exceptional standard, with many original features remaining throughout.
"The castle is set some 200ft above sea level on the side of hill, which is backed by woodland and commands magnificent views over the surrounding country and the Irish Sea as far as Liverpool.
"The approach to the castle allows you to pass by the Great Wood, terraced gardens and parkland. The drive passes through massive stone archways to the courtyard and entrance to the castle.
"Continuing past the entrance, there are further stone archways to the Garage and Stable Yard before winding back round to the Great Wood."
The listing also details the castle's mansion being built of limestone "in the Gothic style", with turrets and architraves "in worked stone and with fine stone windows with leaded lights enriched with coats of arms and old coloured glass".
It said there were 26 bedrooms, nine reception rooms and seven bathrooms within an estate that covered 1,400 acres - the equivalent of 700 football pitches - including outbuildings, lodges, gardens, woodland and parkland.
During the Second World War, the castle provided refuge for Jewish children as part of Operation Kindertransport, rescuing them from danger in Europe.
Following its auction in the 1940s, several different people came into the ownership of the castle, before it was asset-stripped around 30 years ago.
Viewers of this year's series of I'm a Celeb, which is being filmed in the UK because of the coronavirus pandemic, will know the fairytale castle has been left to rot for around three decades.
"I then remember going back a few years later after and it was like a nuclear fallout," Dr Baker, now 33, said.
"There was used needles, abandoned vehicles and fire damage.
"It was an apocalyptic scene. I just thought that someone has got to do something here."
When contacted by a rep from ITV asking about the castle's availability, Dr Baker said he almost deleted the email - believing it to be spam.
But he added: "When I found out what the show was I thought, 'That's pretty immense' and it would be great to host it here in north Wales.
"We hope it will open up north Wales to the whole of Britain and, hopefully, further afield."
The property listing showing the castle during its hey-day was found and shared by the North East Wales Archives, with pictures provided by the Gwynedd Archive Service to celebrate Explore Your Archive week.
Archivist Sarah Roberts said: "Gwrych Castle had kept the Dundonald family in lavish surroundings since the 1870s and would have been a much more comfortable place to live than the viper vaults the I'm a Celebrity contestants are putting up with right now.
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"Despite numerous attempts over the years to turn the building into a hotel or tourist attraction the house fell slowly into disrepair until taken over by The Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust.
"It's brilliant to see it reach households all over the country now and viewers can explore its story."