| Nesbitt Castle | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location in Zimbabwe | |
| Former names | Holdengarde Castle |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Castle |
| Architectural style | Neo-gothic |
| Town or city | Bulawayo |
| Country | Zimbabwe |
| Coordinates | 20°11′14″S 28°37′15″E / 20.18722°S 28.62083°E |
| Named for | Theodore Holdengarde Digby Nesbitt |
| Renovated | August 1990 |
| Owner | Digby Nesbitt |
| Grounds | 16 acres (0.065 km2) |
| Website | |
|
nesbittcastle Nesbitt Castle on X | |
Nesbitt Castle, formerly Holdengarde Castle, is a 20th-century neo-gothic castle near Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It was built by businessman Theodore Holdengarde in the 1920s. [1]
Construction
Theodore Albert Edward Holdengarde (born Theodore Garde, [2] 1878–1947 [3] [a]) was a South African-born man of British descent who ran a successful construction business and was mayor of Bulawayo in 1938 and 1940. [2] Arriving in Southern Rhodesia between 1908 and 1910, he bought 100 acres of land outside Bulawayo and constructed the castle over a period of time. [4] Inspired by medieval romanticism, the owner worked on the castle at weekends with a small team, at times demolishing and rebuilding to follow his changing plans. [2] [4]
After the death of Holdengarde in 1947, and his wife in 1967, the castle briefly fell into disrepair before being taken over by their son, Paul, an ex- WWII pilot, who renovated the premises. [4] However, failing health and old age meant that he was unable to maintain the castle and protect it from squatters and arsonists, who burnt down the reception in 1974. [2] [1] [4]
Current use
Soon before his death in 1988, Paul sold the castle to Chiredzi businessman Digby Nesbitt, who led renovation of the castle. [2] [1] [4] The building reopened in 1990 as a luxury hotel. [2] [1] [4] It has been closed as of February 2017 for further renovations following bad weather. [5]
Filming Location
The hotel was used as a filming location for the 1992 film Power of One. Directed and edited by John G. Avildsen, the film stars Stephen Dorff, John Gielgud, Morgan Freeman, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Daniel Craig.
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d Murray, Paul; Fiennes, Ranulph. Zimbabwe. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 1784770167. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Nesbitt Castle, Zimbabwe - the full story - Expert Africa". www.expertafrica.com. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ Journal of the Institute of Metals, Volume 73. The Institute. 1947. p. 876. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Miller, Dusty (6 July 2012). "A castle in the Bulawayo bush". The Zimbabwe Independent. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ @Kiyaz_Cool (3 February 2017). "Nesbitt Castle shuts down - The Chronicle". www.chronicle.co.zw. Retrieved 27 August 2017.