Larnach Castle
Larnach Castle | |
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R. A. Lawson | |
Designations | Garden of International Significance Qualmark Endorsed Activity |
Known for | Tourism Destination |
Website | |
Larnach Castle www Camp Estate www |
Larnach Castle (also referred to as "Larnach's Castle") is a
The castle and grounds are open daily to members of the public. The Larnach Castle gardens are one of only five gardens nationwide to have been given the rating of "Garden of International Significance" by the
History
Construction and style
Larnach Castle was built as the private residence of
Home of the Larnach family
The building, which Larnach himself simply called "The Camp", was coined a "castle" by local press on 8 December 1874, a few days after William and wife Eliza moved in. After a series of personal and financial setbacks he died by suicide in New Zealand's Parliament Buildings in October 1898. Following bitter legal battles over Larnach's will, the Larnach family sold the house in 1906.[6]
Reputation as haunted house
Larnach Castle has a reputation as one of New Zealand's most haunted buildings, with accounts of sightings of the ghost of a bearded Victorian gentleman (presumably Larnach himself), unexplained smells of cigar smoke and port in unoccupied rooms, and visitors and workers at the castle feeling as if they have been suddenly pushed in the back. These tales have drawn paranormal investigators from both New Zealand and overseas, with the location appearing on various "ghost hunter" television programmes from both New Zealand and the United States.[10][11]
Modern history
Restoration
Throughout the twentieth century Larnach Castle went through constant changes of ownership and usage.
Tourism
Larnach Castle operates as a significant tourist attraction in Dunedin, receiving approximately 120,000 guests per annum.[14] The castle is open to the public 365 days a year; offering guided and self-guided tours, events and accommodation. The Castle regularly hosts in-house events; notably their annual Winter Ball. Larnach Castle Ltd operates three accommodation types; Larnach Castle Stables, Larnach Castle Lodge and the nearby luxury accommodation Camp Estate.[15] Guests staying in accommodation are offered the opportunity to dine inside the Castle.
Appearances
In 1985 it was used as a location for the filming of the TVNZ Dunedin production Hanlon. The same year, it was used in the introductory scenes in the US-New Zealand film co-production, Shaker Run.[16]
In 1994, a play about the Larnach family tragedies, titled Castle of Lies, was performed by Dunedin's Fortune Theatre before 100 invited guests in the castle ballroom.[17]
Larnach Castle and the Camp Estate were used as locations for the 2022 Netflix film, The Royal Treatment. They represented the residence of the royal family of the fictional country Lavania.[18]
The building has been visited by
See also
- William Larnach
- R.A. Lawson
- History of Dunedin
References
- ^ "The Modern History of Larnach Castle".
- ^ "Home - Tourism New Zealand Media".
- ^ David Loughrey (15 July 2010) Botanic Garden earns quite a laurel. Otago Daily Times, p. 5.
- ^ "Larnach Castle | Ministry for Culture and Heritage". mch.govt.nz. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ "Castle". Otago Cycle Hire. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Early History of Larnach Castle". larnachcastle.co.nz. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Larnach Castle". Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ http://www.castlecruiser.co.nz/pages/13-3/Construction Larnach Castle Construction Timeline
- ^ "'The Camp' and 'The Cliffs'". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
- ^ NcNeilly, H., "Ghost pushed us, Larnach Castle tourist claims," Otago Daily Times, 28 December 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- New Zealand Herald, 30 November 2008. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "The Intervening Years at Larnach Castle".
- ^ "Visit the Castle". Larnach Castle Ltd. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- ^ a b "Restoration Work on a Major Scale". Otago Daily Times. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- ^ "Accommodation - Larnach Castle & Gardens - New Zealand's only castle, visit us in Dunedin".
- ^ "Shaker Run (1985)". IMDb.
- ^ Neubauer, Ian (8 October 2014). "Haunted castle high on a hill". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ^ Ward, Tara (21 January 2022). "All the Dunedin locations in Netflix's new rom-com The Royal Treatment". The Spinoff. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ISBN 9781780338279.
Further reading
- Barker, Margaret (2006). The Garden at Larnach Castle: A New Zealand Story. Auckland, NZ: David Bateman. ISBN 978-1-988-53809-9.
- Ledgerwood, Norman (2013). R.A. Lawson: Victorian Architect of Dunedin (Paperback). Dunedin: historic Cemeteries Commission Trust of New Zealand. pp. 160–162. ISBN 978-0-473-24403-3.
- Reed, A.H. (1957). Larnach and his Castle (Paperback). Dunedin: Reed.