Lord Egerton Castle

Maurice Egerton, the fourth Baron Egerton, settled at Njoro in the 1920s and built here in stages: a modest house first, then a larger one, and finally, from the mid-1930s, a fifty-two room castle with stone imported detail, a ballroom, a music room and turrets, built over some years. The story attached to it is that each house was built to impress a woman who rejected it, and that the final castle was intended for a fiancée who saw it and declined, after which Egerton banned women from the property altogether and lived there alone until his death in 1958. How much of that is embellishment is unclear, but the building is real and so is the loneliness of it. The estate became Egerton University, which now maintains the castle as a museum and events venue with the rooms partly furnished.

History

The architect was Albert Brown, and building went on until 1954. The castle was declared a monument in 1996 and opened to the public in 2005, managed by Egerton University (Wikipedia, Lord Egerton Castle).

Highlights

• The stone castle - the fifty-two room house with turrets and ballroom.
• Period rooms - partly furnished interiors open to visitors.
• The grounds - lawns and gardens around the building.
• The story - the courtship legend told at every visit.

When to go

Year-round; the highland climate here is mild. Weekdays are quiet, weekends bring photo shoots and events that can restrict access. Check ahead if the castle is booked for a function.

What to expect

The building is in mixed condition and only parts are furnished; visitors expecting a fully preserved stately home will find something more sparse. Photography for weddings and shoots often occupies the grounds. Interpretation is thin. An hour or so covers it.

Nearby

Nakuru and Menengai crater are east; Lake Nakuru National Park is nearby.

Key facts