This grand English apartment building was once a castle – and its units are now up for sale

This former castle has a new lease as 26 luxury apartments, which are now looking for buyers.

In the English countryside between Sheffield and Birmingham, the meticulously renovated Riber Castle is ready for its market debut as an apartment complex fit for a king.

Built in 1862 as the private residence of industrialist John Smedley, the building has had many lives, including as a boarding school, a World War II emergency food storage facility, and a “wildlife park,” which was run from the castle grounds before being abandoned and left in a derelict state. By the time the Wright family acquired the property in 2000, it was in ruins, offering four exterior walls without a roof.

Over the following years, they were able to carefully rehabilitate the space and convert it into more than two dozen homes while maintaining the castle’s original exterior.

The units — which ask an estimated $740,000 to $1.2 million each and range from about 1,400 to 1,950 square feet — today offer such contemporary attributes as underfloor heating, high-speed Internet access and modern appointments throughout, while still display the stunning restored castle facade.

Upper floor units have roof terraces and “tower suites” each have a private tower with study area that overlooks sweeping views of the surrounding landscape.

Residents will also have access to shared, on-site amenities ranging from a wellness spa, a state-of-the-art gym, a courtyard garden, an orangery and a multi-use space equipped with grass.

The main lobby is also quite a sight.

“When you enter the grand central hall and look up, you know you’re in for something special, the staircase and an elevator rise to a spectacular vaulted ceiling with hand-painted gilt details,” describes the listing, which is maintained by Jamie . Adam of the Saviles. He adds, “24 years after purchasing the Castle, the Wright family’s dreams have finally come true and Riber Castle has been restored.”