A very secret royal appointment

Last week I was privileged to be let in on a little secret that the founders of the Castle Retreats project, in St Marychurch, were about to unleash via the media.

For a while, I had noticed that an organisation, called Castle Retreats, had liked my Moors and More Tours business page on Facebook, and, being curious to know who was showing an interest in what I have to offer, I reciprocated by checking them out too. It turns out that they are a holiday accommodation provider with, at present, a couple of cosy apartments situated in a most intriguing property known as Cary Castle, which has a rich history and is right up my street.

Sensing the possibility of us working together, I dropped an email to the company address and got a very swift reply from a charming lady called Tui, one of the founders of the project, who has a keen vision for the future of the property.

As I said, two apartments are up and running,with others in need of restoration, which you can help with by booking breaks at the castle, and the payment goes towards project Renovatio which aims to bring the property back to its full potential.

We had a lengthy chat on the phone where I explained to Tui one of my aims is to introduce to a wider audience the delights of Dartmoor, and that’s where she felt we could work together, as it reflects the type of service she wants to offer to her guests. In addition to visiting local attractions, Castle Retreats envisions trips further afield, which myself, and my trusty chauffeur could provide.

During the course of our conversation, I gathered that Castle Retreats had a special secret that they were on the verge of making public via a press release and they asked if I would like to be in on the revelation, and maybe write a piece about it myself. Intrigued, I agreed, and so, a few days later I turned up at Castle Retreats dressed in my Storyteller’s outfit, ready for a photoshoot.

It turned out that they had great plans to bring some fun, regal glamour to the apartments, by taking part in an auction of fixtures and fittings, props, and costumes, from the hit Netflix series, The Crown. The small team at Castle Retreats felt certain that project Renovatio, and the village of St Marychurch would benefit from visitors attracted to the idea of staying amongst genuine artefacts from The Crown. Fearing that all the lots would be out of their price range, they were delighted when a bid made for a pair of Corinthian Columns, off one of the Palace sets, held out, and eventually won!

Emboldened by this success, the team were inspired to attain a few more items with which to adorn the apartments, so ended up securing some chairs from a corridor scene; some lamps and urns that had been used as set dressing; even some polo sticks from matches with Prince Philip and Prince Charles, as seen on screen. These are now mounted and will be used as wall plaques in the apartments, and it is these objects that we incorporated into our photoshoot.

Having secured decorations for the apartments, there was one last item, identified as perfect for raising the profile of Castle Retreats and St Marychurch, from the costume section, which they were amazed to win! This was an ensemble, as worn by the actress Claudia Harrison, playing Princess Anne, when she attended the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla. The outfit is stunning, consisting of a blue silk organza dress with matching dress coat, which will be worn to promote the Castle Retreats Renovatio project within the thriving historic village of St Marychurch.

Having discussed our plans to create bespoke tours, Tui gave me a guided tour of the available apartments, along with another room, a work in progress, where she envisions guest speakers, including myself, giving talks, which I’m more than happy to be involved in. Visiting the accommodation, known as The Nest (or now The Nest and Crown) and The Annexe, we took some pictures, to be used in the build up to the press release, and whilst in The Annexe, my attention was drawn to an optical illusion that has been created around the kitchen sink, by placing a mirror next to the window, made of striking green glass, which makes it look like the window ledge stretches into the room next door. Very clever. I was pleased to see that this particular window features on a postcard that is available during your stay at the castle, that you can send to your family and friends, making them very envious.

Meeting and photoshoot over, it was time to take my leave of Tui, promising to keep the secret of the Crown haul, until after their press release went public, which happened last week. As I drove home, I was fascinated to know more about the history of the property and its grounds. Looking at the Castle Retreats website, some of my questions were answered...

The land originally belonged to the Cary family, along with much of Torquay at that time, and on it was a dwelling known as West Hill Farm. After a fire destroyed it, the occupant, one George Thorne, asked the landowners if he could build a castle there instead, naming it Cary Castle, in their honour. There is actually some confusion as to whether or not any Cary ever resided in it, as several members of the family moved to Castle Cary in Somerset, after losing their wealth, and this town is actually known to me as it lies on a route we used to take frequently on our family holidays, going from Bristol to our caravan in Weymouth. How coincidental. The builder and occupier of the castle eventually died in residence at the age of 98.

There is a romantic side to the castle, for it was long thought that secret smugglers' tunnels linked it to the nearby coast, compounded by the fact George Thorne was ex-navy, alongside the number of smuggling tales that abound in the area. However, any such constructions would have been sealed up in May 1943, when a payload of German bombs was dropped on the area, during a Sunday service, destroying the church, and tragically killing local residents, including 21 children and three Sunday School teachers. This heart-breaking event is commemorated every year on the anniversary.

Tui is actually from New Zealand, her accent being a bit of a giveaway, and she is very keen for Castle Retreats to attract fellow Kiwis to come and appreciate the fascinating historical links with the recuperating wounded New Zealand armed forces of 1917 -  1919. In partnership with a historian who lectures at Torquay Museum, Castle Retreats is developing unique “Kiwis in Torquay” stays, specifically with New Zealanders in mind. It won’t be long before their website includes full details. As it so happens, Mark, my partner in crime, who helped me set up various activities, including my monthly walks, now lives down there, and he may be able to help promote Castle Retreats to his neighbours.

It is a coincidence that Tui is also the name of a travel company, for here she is leading the Castle Retreats project, inviting both UK and international travellers to be a part of preserving our precious local heritage. As Castle Retreats says, Renovatio – be a part of it!  

I want to wish them all the best with their endeavours, and I look forward to playing my part, for sure.