Nesbitt Castle
| Nesbitt Castle | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location in Zimbabwe | |
| Former names | Holdengarde Castle |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Castle |
| Architectural style | Neo-gothic |
| Town or city | Bulawayo |
| Country | Zimbabwe |
| Coordinates | 20°11′13″S 28°37′23″E / 20.187°S 28.623°E |
| Named for | Theodore Holdengarde Digby Nesbitt |
| Renovated | August 1990 |
| Owner | Digby Nesbitt |
| Grounds | 16 acres (0.065 km2) |
| Website | |
| nesbittcastle | |
Nesbitt Castle, formerly Holdengarde Castle, is a 20th-century neo-gothic castle near Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It was built by business man Theodore Holdengarde in the 1920s.[1]
Construction
Theodore Albert Edward Holdengarde (born Theodore Garde[2], 1878-1947[3][a]) was a South African-born man of British descent who ran a successful construction business and was mayor of Bulawayo in 1938 and 1940.[2] Arriving in Southern Rhodesia between 1908 and 1910, he bought 100 acres of land outside Bulawayo and constructed the castle over a period of time.[4] Inspired by medieval romanticism, the owner worked on the castle at weekends with a small team, at times demolishing and rebuilding to follow his changing plans.[2][4]
After the death of Holdengarde in 1947, and his wife in 1967, the castle briefly fell into disrepair before being taken over by their son, Paul, an ex-WWII pilot, who renovated the premises.[4] However, failing health and old age meant that he was unable to maintain the castle and protect it from squatters, satanists and arsonists, who burnt down the reception in 1974.[2][1][4]
Current use
Soon before his death in 1988, Paul sold the castle to Chiredzi businessman Digby Nesbitt, who led renovation of the castle.[2][1][4] The building reopened in 1990 as a luxury hotel.[2][1][4] It has been closed as of February 2017 for further renovations following bad weather.[5]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d Murray, Paul; Fiennes, Ranulph. Zimbabwe. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 1784770167. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Nesbitt Castle, Zimbabwe - the full story - Expert Africa". www.expertafrica.com. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ Journal of the Institute of Metals, Volume 73. The Institute. 1947. p. 876. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Miller, Dusty (6 July 2012). "A castle in the Bulawayo bush". The Zimbabwe Independent. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ @Kiyaz_Cool (3 February 2017). "Nesbitt Castle shuts down - The Chronicle". www.chronicle.co.zw. Retrieved 27 August 2017.