Just Listed: Norman Fantasy Castle in Rydal

With a trinity-like room arrangement, grand interiors and a turreted stair tower, this Rydal Norman castle at 1187 Rydal Rd., Rydal, Pa. 19046, is the perfect place to spend all your knights — and days. | Bright MLS images via BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors

Do you look forward to attending the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire every summer?

Then maybe you might want to consider buying this Rydal Norman castle house for sale — one of the few houses in this region where you could go medieval every day of the year.

You would have to make some adjustments, however, for where the Faire takes you back to merrie olde England, this place sends you back to France.

Last put on the market in the 1960s, this truly unique residence was built in 1931 by a family who stayed at a castle in Normandy on their European trip and loved it so much they decided to replicate it here.

Left side elevation

They chose to build it on a steeply sloping hillside in order to both stack all its functions one atop the other, trinity-style, and provide those key medieval-castle features.

Like the “moat” you cross to get to its front door.

Living room

Your guests will cross that moat and walk directly into the handsome paneled living room. All of its original features, including wide-plank wood floors, a fireplace and a metal spiral mini-staircase that lets you reach the top bookshelves, remain intact. Your guests can also use the powder room on this floor.

Rear elevation and garage

Stair turret: midway up at left, top at right

You, however, will more likely drive your car into the two-car garage accessed from Cloverly Lane, at the back of the house, then climb the spiral stairs past the garden side entrance to the first floor.

Dining room

On this floor you will find the dining room, kitchen, a sitting room and a full bath. The dining room also has French doors that lead to the larger of the two side gardens.

Kitchen

A door leads from the kitchen to the side-yard pathway leading up from the driveway past the stair tower entrance to the moat.

Garden and gazebo

The moat passes under the main entrance bridge to connect the side yard and garden, which packs a load of beauty into this house’s quarter-acre lot thanks to the house’s compact footprint. The one accessed from the dining room has a path leading down to a gazebo.

Third-floor bedroom

Hall bathroom

The third floor contains two bedrooms and a hall bathroom.

Primary bedroom

And the primary bedroom tops this French confection. It has a high vaulted ceiling and a French door that opens onto a Juliet balcony overlooking the front entrance. You might want to consider putting a portable stove in the alcove so you can pour boiling oil on invading miscreants.

Primary bathroom

Like the other bathrooms in this house, the original tilework in the primary bedroom’s en-suite bath is in excellent condition. But as you can see from this photo, the casement windows will need maintenance work, or possibly even replacement. Putting in modern double-pane windows will help cut down on your heating and cooling bills.

But those bills shouldn’t be all that great anyway thanks to this chateau’s thick stone walls.

If you have friends who love the Middle Ages as much as you do, you will definitely want to move into this Rydal Norman castle house for sale and save them a trip to Mannheim by inviting them all over for an evening of Renaissance cosplay. Since you’re close to the Whole Foods Market on the Fairway as well as Rydal Regional Rail station, you can both obtain the victuals for a royal feast and have your guests deliver a surprise to their fellow riders by taking the train up in medieval dress.

And since it’s been close to 60 years since this house last changed hands, you might also want to consider some improvements that bring this Norman medieval fantasy castle into the modern world.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 3

BATHS: 3 full, 1 half

SQUARE FEET: 2,245

SALE PRICE: $485,000

1187 Rydal Rd., Rydal, Pa. 19046 [Mark Malfara | BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors]