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Thornewood Castle

© Vickie Ferguson

In January 2002, a made for TV mini-series based on the novel by Stephen King was aired and in true King style, had you sitting on the edge of your seat.

The story revolves around a family home, Rose Red, and we spend most of our time inside this huge estate. The story very closely mirrors the true story of the Winchester Mystery House http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/st... located in San Jose, CA.. It's well documented that the Winchester heiress had carpenters continually adding and building rooms 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 38 years to keep evil spirits at bay! When searching for a location that fit the description of the house in King's book, Thornewood Castle http://www.thornewoodcastle.com won the honor hands down. Because they wanted the house to be as close to the book as possible, the ABC/Disney folks authorized several renovations with the approval of the Robinson's. One of these revamps included completely restoring the Grand Ballroom to its original state. The interior shots depicting fabulous staircases, magnificent fireplaces, rich wood paneling along with priceless art pieces and antiques were also filmed at Thornewood Castle. They even added the "Rose Red" tower along with a huge ornamental fountain that was especially built for filming of the series. Exterior shots include the red brick façade of the mansion (bricks were originally imported from Wales) and the lush gardens.

The castle is a story unto itself. Building began on the 54-room English Tudor/Gothic estate on the specifications of Mr. Chester Thorne in 1908 and continued until 1911. Estimated cost at the time was approximately $1,000,000. Today estimates to replicate the mansion are around $30,000.000. Built in true English fashion the interior features an impressive grand staircase, exquisite glass art and imported paneling. Many of the building supplies used in the construction of the mansion came from a 15th century English estate and were transported to the US by ship.

Your hosts, Wayne and Deanna Robinson, own and operate Thornewood Castle. They have graciously opened the doors to their 27,000 sq. ft. private residence so that you may step back in time and experience the elegance and grandeur of the Victorian era. Nestled on 4 1/2 acres, the castle has 9 beautifully appointed rooms plus 1 adjoining apartment/suite available. Several of the rooms have Jacuzzi's and fireplaces.

You can start your day at Thornewood with breakfast that can be served in your room or the spacious dining hall. Afterwards, take a leisurely stroll through the 1/2-acre sunken English gardens filled with statuary or take a relaxing boat ride on American Lake and enjoy the scenery. Later, you can end your day relaxing in the outdoor hot tub soaking up the spectacular sunset across the lake!