Exploring Lord Egerton Castle
Exploring Lord Egerton Castle, Nakuru : Lord Egerton Castle is an architecturally impressive and iconic structure found in the small township of Njoro approximately a14 kilometers (9 miles) from Nakuru Town.
This castle is an impressive attraction in Nakuru due to its magnificent architecture with state-of-the-art landscapes and picturesque views. Also, Lord Egerton is rich in history which takes you back to the colonial era in Kenya.
The story behind Lord Egerton Castle is a heart – wrenching tale of unrequited love, the story starts when Lord Maurice Egerton found his way to Africa from England. Having been born to a noble family, Maurice Tatton was the sole heir of Alan de Tatton and Lady Anna Louisa Taylor. At the age of 36, Maurice succeeded his father as the 4th Baron of Egerton in 1920.
Lord Egerton took an avid interest in photography and traveling and was one of the first aviators in the early 1900s, his exploits brought him to Africa where he traversed Rhodesia, Uganda and finally ended up in the then Britian Colony of Kenya.
He settled in an area that is today known as Nakuru. Here, he built a modest – but royal standards – six-bedroom house on a 22,000-acre piece of property in 1927.
As fate would have I, he met an Austrian woman and fell deeply in love. In a bid to convince her to marry her and produce heirs, as custom dictated, Lord Maurice invited her to his house.
According to the legend, the beautiful woman did not spend an hour in the compound, brusquely telling him that she “could not live in a chicken coop”. the rebuff prompted Lord Egerton to roll up his sleeves and in abid to prove his worth, create a rather elaborate palace befitting royalty. The work commended, bolstered by a troop of Italian Mansons, over 100 Indian handymen and English architect Albert Brown to craft a magnificent four – story, 52-room mansion.
The finest construction materials were shipped to Kenya from Italy and Kenya, high-quality stone for the walls and elegant zinc roof tiles were brought in. Polished wood for the finishes was imported.
An escalator was even bult among other high – tech electronic gadgets.
When the castle was finally competed in 1938, Lord Egerton once again invited the woman of his dreams to see it and once again she turned him down, claiming the house was “no better than a dog’s kennel”.
She departed and Lord Egerton was left heart broken and devastated, it is said she soon got married to another British Lord in Australia.
The rejection left Lord Egerton’s heart shattered into a million splinters, he gave up on women completely and immersed himself totally in farming and education. He ignored all else around him, prohibited any and all women from setting foot on the 100-acre grounds on which the castle stood.
He developed a bizarre dislike for dogs and chicken, for obvious reasons. Legend has it that whenever he visited any of his African farmhands’ cottages, he decreed that all women in the homestead depart before his arrival. Lord Egerton spent the rest of his life in solitude until his death in 1958. The name of the woman associated with his misery has never been mentioned in any account of his life story.
In an ironic twist to this bitter story, Lord Egerton Castle is now a favorite spot for lovers, weddings, engagement proposals and lover’s picnics are held here on a regular basis. Certainly, it is a spot worth visiting.
The Castle’s green lawn is well – manicured and the imposing British – styled castle offers a picturesque backdrop for romance and romantic events. The castle without a princess still stands, bearing testament to the extent to which love can drive a man and the depths to which rejection can sink him
Lord Egerton Castle Prices
To access the Lord Egerton Castle – Nakuru, there is a price to pay which is relatively low for both residents and non – residents.
Kenyan Citizens
|
Group |
Lord Egerton Castle Pricing in Kshs (2023) |
|
Adults |
150 |
|
Tertiary Institutions |
120 |
|
Secondary Schools |
100 |
|
Primary Schools |
75 |
Residents
|
Group |
Lord Egerton Castle Pricing in Kshs (2022) |
|
Adults |
450 |
|
Tertiary Institutions |
240 |
|
Secondary Schools |
200 |
|
Primary Schools |
150 |
Non-residents
|
Group |
Lord Egerton Castle Pricing in USD (2023) |
|
Adults |
12 |
|
Tertiary Institutions |
10 |
|
Secondary Schools |
8 |
|
Primary Schools |
6 |
