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Author Topic: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV  (Read 8076 times)

Sir James A

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Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« on: 2010-12-18, 22:49:49 »
I posted the set of pictures from our trip today to Berkeley Springs Castle, in WV.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2096286&id=1132478990&l=49057a0c4f
(hopefully that album is viewable - my profile is private but it says that's a link for public viewing)

It was a good time. The only thing I didn't expect was that only the downstairs portion of the castle was open, but the castle itself is closed to the public, and this is the first time it has been open to the general public since it was purchased back in ?2002? (I think).

Wouldn't have to twist my arm very hard to get me to live in it!
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Sir Wolf

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #1 on: 2010-12-19, 04:35:16 »
you saw the best parts. trust me. hehehe. and i had to pay to see the rest a long time ago and walk up on the roof. it was in sad shape then. thanks so much for the pictures. it looks like they did a great job decorating it

Sir James A

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #2 on: 2010-12-19, 21:38:13 »
you saw the best parts. trust me. hehehe. and i had to pay to see the rest a long time ago and walk up on the roof. it was in sad shape then. thanks so much for the pictures. it looks like they did a great job decorating it

Do you remember which year you went? If I remember right the current owner bought it in 2002 and moved in around 2005. He said the upstairs is mostly his messy bedroom and other non-castle sort of things, but I'm still curious about the building itself; floors, walls, ceilings, and so on. Would have loved to see the view from the top of the tower. It was $10/person to get in, and they had free drinks and snacks, too. The owner is very nice, and was telling some stories about the history, and took a few of us back to the restricted areas behind the kitchen, where it goes "into" the mountain, he called it the "dungeon" since it is a small room used for storage, might have been a wine cellar before.

He mentioned how the people who almost bought it were talking about how it was so "dark" inside, and that they wanted to put drywall over the stone walls, and paint all the woodwork white. I'm VERY glad those people didn't buy it. There were lots of neat little things, like the dragon skeleton has a santa hat and bowtie, little things that gave a great overall feel.
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Sir Wolf

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #3 on: 2010-12-19, 22:10:30 »
i am thinking it was summer of 98

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #4 on: 2010-12-20, 15:20:10 »

Man, I wish I could afford to build something like that.
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Sir William

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #5 on: 2010-12-20, 19:32:30 »
As do I, good Sirs.  I can't see FB at work so I'll try and get on at home.
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Sir James A

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #6 on: 2010-12-20, 19:51:25 »

Man, I wish I could afford to build something like that.

Me too. The stonework is great, some spots of the wall are at least 2.5-3 feet thick, and that's just what I could tell from the first floor. The castle dates from the 1890s, so it's "new", at least as compared to the original castles, but it does an excellent job at feeling like a late-era fortified manor house.
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Sir Wolf

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #7 on: 2010-12-20, 22:26:06 »
stop buying albions and you might ;) hahhaahah jk

Sir William

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #8 on: 2010-12-21, 00:12:43 »
What a beautiful structure...only open once a year, eh?  Must be nice!
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SirNathanQ

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #9 on: 2010-12-21, 03:38:28 »
Hey, I happen to live in Berkeley Springs. I totally recommend that a group come down! I would much appreciate the company!  ;D
BTW, order idea, how cool would it be to have the initial knightings in a legit castle!!!!!!  :D
Just putting that out there.


(and when we finally do decide to besiege the thing and use it as our base of operations for turning the world into our fiefdom, I will be happy to serve as local guide/traitor/heroic undercover spy ect.  ;) Just shoot me a PM when we get the ram and the trebuchets up and running..... 8))   
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Sir Brian

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #10 on: 2010-12-21, 12:20:45 »
Yes we are discussing the venue for the first knighting ceremony over in the Order disscussion area. http://modernchivalry.org/forum/index.php/topic,807.msg7858.html#new
It's awesome how great minds think alike!   ;)

~ IMo somewhere in western Maryland/Virginia or Eastern WV would be more centrally located for a majority of us.  :-\
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Sir William

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #11 on: 2010-12-21, 20:00:54 »
Hey, I happen to live in Berkeley Springs. I totally recommend that a group come down! I would much appreciate the company!  ;D
BTW, order idea, how cool would it be to have the initial knightings in a legit castle!!!!!!  :D
Just putting that out there.


(and when we finally do decide to besiege the thing and use it as our base of operations for turning the world into our fiefdom, I will be happy to serve as local guide/traitor/heroic undercover spy ect.  ;) Just shoot me a PM when we get the ram and the trebuchets up and running..... 8))   

Funny you should mention siegeworks....a buddy of mine out west built a working trebuchet with his nephews- got some range on it too he did.  Me, I'll tilt at the windmills and keep those occupied.

;)
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SirNathanQ

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Re: Trip to Berkeley Springs Castle, WV
« Reply #12 on: 2010-12-21, 21:07:40 »
Yeah, that would be great! Especially since I happen to live there! I would be happy to use my hometown as order HQ.  ;D ;D ;D
"The maximum use of force is in no way incompatible with the simultaneous use of the intellect." -Carl Von Clausewitz
"He is truly a fearless knight and secure on every side, for his soul is protected by the armor of faith just as his body is protected by armor of steel." -Saint Bernard of Clairvoux