The story of the Leeds castle that's not a castle. PIC: Leslie GouldThe story of the Leeds castle that's not a castle. PIC: Leslie Gould
The story of the Leeds castle that's not a castle. PIC: Leslie Gould

The Leeds castle that's not a castle

When is a castle not a castle?

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When it's a ruin. This Castle Ruin was designed and built by master craftsman George Nettleton in 1821 for Thomas Nicholson, the owner of Roundhay Park. It was intended as an ornamental feature to provide entertainment for the Nicholson family. His daughters visited to sew and shooting parties on the estate used the upper room as a luncheon venue. The folly served as a summerhouse and originally had a wooden roof. Located at the head of Waterloo Lake it was it was built to resemble a much older structure. These photos provide a fascinating insight into a ruin, now a Grade II listed structure, which has been part of life in Roundhay Park for generations. They images are published courtesy of Leslie Gould, Artemis, The Francis Frith Collection and photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service. READ MORE: 21 famous faces who went to school in Leeds LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook

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