The regal history of Daniel O’Donoghue’s medieval-era home in Kent, England, came full circle in July when he celebrated the nuptials of his daughter.

She arrived by traditional Shire horse from the local church to her wedding reception that was held on Mr. O’Donoghue’s property, where 486 years ago the newly wed King Henry VIII honeymooned with his second wife, Anne Boleyn. The July 2018 wedding was a last hurrah for the O’Donoghues, who have decided to sell historic Shurland Hall, the remaining part of a 16th-century walled estate on the Isle of Sheppey.

“When we came across the property [in 2011] we were instantly captivated by the sense of history and beauty of Shurland Hall,” Mr. O’Donoghue said in a statement through property agents. “There aren’t many places you can live which are so steeped in history.”

The grand red-brick home hit the market this month with agency Fine & Country, asking between £2.5 million to £2.75 million (US$3.2 million to US3.5 million).

It comprises the former gatehouse and a portion of the service wing that were once part of a much larger medieval estate.

But as recently as 2006, even these last remaining parts of the Grade II*-listed property had fallen into ruin.

The home’s defining architectural elements, two octagonal turrets, had begun to crumble, and the roof and most windows were completely lost, images of the then-derelict home show. That was until a team historic preservation organizations, including the Spitalfields Trust and English Heritage, rallied together to restore the ancient gatehouse between 2006 and 2011.

Restorers used old photographs to reconstruct the building. They repaired the brick chimneys and repurposed an 18th-century staircase from a demolished home in London, according to the Spitalfields Trust website.

The O’Donoghues picked up the baton in 2011, “camping” out in the unfinished home while work continued, Mr. O’Donoghue said.

Today the five-bedroom home features airy living spaces with unique period details, such as tall leaded windows, timber floorboards and quarry tile floors.

The iron-studded, aged-oak door opens into a grand, double-height entrance hall that leads into the dining and living rooms on either side, as well as a passage to the cloakroom housed in one of the octagonal turrets, according information from the listing agents.

The great hall in the south wing has an “ancient feel,” Mr. O’Donoghue said. “With a fire lit, we love to sink back into a chair and relax, especially when all the family and the grandchildren are here.”

The second level encompasses expansive bedrooms, the largest of the which has an en-suite bathroom with a shower and freestanding tub.

From one of the octagonal turrets, a spiral staircase leads to the roof, where there are panoramic views over the seven-acre property all the way to the Thames estuary. The grounds include a lake and two walled gardens, which contain romantic ruins of the original manor house.

The Medieval home was built for Sir Thomas Cheyney, an important courtier in the Tudor era who hosted Henry VIII and Boleyn in October 1532 after their wedding. While their marriage ended four years later in a beheading, ownership of Shurland Hall eventually passed to their only child, Elizabeth I, according to information provided by the listing agency Fine & Country.

Owner Mr. O’Donoghue said they are selling the home as part of their retirement. “We’ll miss the uniqueness and space of the place and the joy of living alongside such rich history,” he said.

For more on this story go to: https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/medieval-estate-where-henry-viii-and-anne-boleyn-honeymooned-hits-market-115650