Fancy being king or queen of your own castle in Northamptonshire?

Historic England hope a buyer can be found soon for one of Northamptonshire’s most distinctive historic buildings.

Astwell Castle Farm, near Brackley, is a Grade Two listed building, looks like a medieval castle and has been on the market since October 2018.

For a whopping £1.5m price tag you get a magnificent 17th century manor house with four bedrooms, 33 acres of land, a former outdoor swimming pool, a farm and planning permission to convert barns into two houses.

Oh, and a hefty repair bill to fix its imposing, three-storey, turreted 15th century Gatehouse Tower.

Historic England has Astwell Castle Farm on its Heritage At Risk register, which lists 5,000 ancient monuments across the country.

A spokesman for Historic England said: "The three-storey gatehouse tower with stair and garderobe turrets originally formed the east range of a moated courtyard house and now represents the sole standing remains of the 15th century house incorporated into an early 17th century manor house.

"A condition survey has identified the level of intervention required to repair structural defects including significant cracking in the tower. There has been a partial collapse of the north store roof since last inspected in 2019.

"The current owner is aware that it is in need of repairs and recently installed a temporary roof covering part of the building."

The once-grand home near Helmdon, four miles north of Brackley, was associated with wealthy families back int the 16th and 17th centuries.

But it became largely dilapidated until a restoration project in the late-1950s by local historian Joan Wake -- who also led a campaign to save Northampton’s Delapre Abbey.

Architectural features include mullion windows, antique doors, ornate fireplaces, an oak staircase and parquet floors. Archway timberwork above a window carries the date 1638 – around the time King Charles I dissolved the English parliament and four years before the English Civil War broke out.

Inside the tower, a stone spiral staircase leads to two rooms and the castellated roof.

James Way, partner at estate agents Knight Frank, said: “The property is currently occupied but the vendor feels it’s time to pass on to someone else to take on as a project.

“The tower is wind and water tight but there is a far bit to do regarding repairing and maintaining.

"It does need a significant investment to stabilise the structure and update the house for what people want in today's world.

"New owners would need to work closely with conservation officers but with the right investment they will have a pretty special property.

'It's very striking as you approach it through narrow country lanes. If someone likes the idea of living in their own castle, this is the perfect place.

“We have had plenty of interest, one potential buyer in particular if they can sell their own property. So we’re certainly hopefully of finding a new owner in the near future.”