Tucked away from the bustling noises and traffic, Nakuru’s legendary Lord Egerton Castle is one of those places that continually attract visitors from all over the globe.
The magnificent 53-roomed castle, commonly referred as “The place where the suitor missed the target’, is situated on Ngata farm, just 15 kilometers off the Nakuru-Eldoret highway. It is managed by Egerton University.
The first sight of the legendary castle of love-turned-sour is breath-taking, its architectural structures of colonial era portraying wealth and extravagance.
The castle was built in 1938 by Lord Maurice Egerton Tatton, the fourth and the last Baron Egerton of Tatton for a lady to whom he wished to become engaged.
As the story goes, the lady refused to marry him twice even after building her the monumental castle on a 100-acre land terming it as a museum, a situation which broke Egerton’s heart and made him hate women in his entire life.
Lord Egerton is said to have banned women from ever setting foot at the castle stood, even placing signs that women risked being shot if seen intruding the compound.
He lived a lonely life in the castle for only four years before he succumbed to chest complications while still a bachelor in 1954.
However solid the legacy he implanted in the castle, it has ironically attracted both local and foreign tourists among lovers who have found the spot a favourite place for tying the knot.
The luring beautiful flower gardens and well-trimmed lawns undisputedly provide a perfect scenic setting for memorable events.
And as fate would have it, the grounds which were opened to the public in 2005, pose as the most sought-after for garden weddings, corporate functions, picnics, cocktails and office parties.
Adults are charged Sh150, while children are charged between Sh50 and Sh75 to visit the castle.
Outside the expansive green lawns, both local and international tourists, school children, families, among lovers engage in different outdoor activities.
Majority of young children play hide and seek, ball games, rope skipping, football while others are wildly running and shouting off their weekend.
Here, one only experience chuckles from birds and giggles from children playing.
The site is also a home to llamas, tortoises and ancient machinery.
Due to the high numbers visiting to the castle, visitors take turns, with the guide in touring the 53-rooms which are numbered to avoid visitors getting lost.
One of the rooms is a classic ball room, currently hosting a broken piano portraying Egerton’s architectural prowess.
The room was once used for high caliber meetings, entertainment and celebrations.
The inside stairway and the floor of the castle are made of oak which is said to have been imported from Britain while the roof is beautifully designed in zinc tiles.
The mansion is fully furnished with children’s rooms, a master bedroom for him and his wife, numerous other rooms, confinements, passageways, barricades, secluded venues and artistic rooms.