Lord Egerton Castle: A Hidden Gem in Kenya

In this article, we will cover Lord Egerton Castle. Lord Egerton Castle is a house styled like a fortress located 14 km outside Nakuru, Kenya. The foundation was laid in 1938 by Maurice Egerton, 4th Baron Egerton. The architect was Albert Brown. Construction continued until 1954. The Castle’s management was transferred to the Egerton University that Egerton set up, and with time became a museum. It was added to Kenya’s list of national monuments in a gazette notice dated 25th March 1996.

It is a stunning piece of history nestled in the Ngata area, 10 kilometres from Nakuru town, the Castle is far from ordinary, despite its age.

Lord Egerton Castle Location

The Lord Egerton Castle is located in Nakuru County, a Ksh 50 matatu ride from Nakuru CBD. If you are using public transport, board a matatu heading to Ngata at Nakuru Odeon stage and alight at Ngata gate. Once you alight you can walk to the castle grounds or take a boda boda for Ksh 50.

Lord Egerton Castle History

Lord Maurice Egerton was born into a royal family of Lords, the Barons of Egerton, in 1874. He was the lastborn son of Alan de Tatton and Lady Anna Louisa Taylor and had two siblings, William and Cecil Egerton, who died young. This left Maurice as the sole heir to the family’s vast wealth and riches. He worked in the Royal Navy until 1920 when his father passed away, and he succeeded him as the 4th baron of Egerton. Maurice had a passion for hunting and photography, which led him to travel the world and explore different continents.

Maurice came to Africa through Zimbabwe and traveled up through Congo before making his way to Uganda and eventually entering Kenya, where he settled. Lord Delamere convinced Maurice to take up agriculture in Kenya, and he bought over 20,000 acres from Delamere, which ran from Egerton University to parts of Rongai, Ngata, and Molo, circumventing Lake Nakuru. As an offspring of royal lineage, Maurice was expected to marry a girl of the same status. He found a young nubile beauty whose lineage branched off Queen Elizabeth’s and built a four-roomed cottage to impress her. However, the fiance called the cottage a “bird’s nest” and left after only two hours.

This prompted Maurice to build a bigger house befitting his royalty status, and he embarked on building a castle modeled on his family’s back at Tatton Park Cheshire. Lord Maurice Egerton broke ground and laid the foundation of the castle in 1938 and completed it in 1954. He contracted English architect Albert Brown, a group of Italian construction workers, and over 100 Red Indian laborers to realize the design.

The fiance was still unimpressed, calling the castle small like a dog’s kennel, and left, subsequently marrying another British Lord. Lord Maurice was heartbroken but continued with the construction of the castle, which was fully furnished with a children’s room, a master bedroom for him and his wife, numerous other rooms, confinements, alleyways, barricades, cloistered venues, and artistic lacunas. The megastructure rose tenaciously, emblazoned with breathtaking architecture that greatly resembled the Neuro-classical mansion that belonged to the family back in England.

Lord Egerton’s castle evoked passionate misogyny for women due to his dream wife’s snub and belittling of his stature. He pinned notes on tree girths and branches warning any woman spotted near the castle would be shot. Most of the rocks used for construction were brought from abroad. Sparkly green marbles for fireplaces were imported from Italy, while tiles used to decorate the interiors were ferried from China. The inside stairways and walls were paneled with British oak. The castle has a huge ballroom for high-caliber meetings, entertainment, celebrations, and rendezvous, which connects to the guests’ lobby. Among the 53 rooms inside the castle are bathrooms, guesthouses, a dark room (where Maurice developed his photography films), a library, a reading room, a kitchen, a laundry room, and many other partitions, creviced for specific functions.

The roof of the castle is made of imported zinc tiles that glide over each other like pangolin shells. Polished curved stones line the perimeter of the balcony at the third and fourth floors, while dressed blocks – also imported – form the fringes. The organ player takes the height of two stories, made with 411 sound pipes and a cabinet that operates the organ. Thrice a year, the organ’s player would come from England to play for the Lord his favorite ballads. Adjacent to the Servants’ Quarters is a car park that housed a Rolls Royce, a Pilot, and other vehicles.

Now, fast forward to the present day, and the castle has been beautifully restored and is open to visitors. You can tour the castle and even glimpse Lord Egerton’s personal belongings, like his radio collection, sound amplifier, and camera, among other things like a traveling trunk.

Lord Egerton Castle Activities

The castle hosts several events, from weddings to corporate retreats and even movie shoots. No wonder the castle has become a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. The irony of it all – people choose it as a venue to celebrate love.

The well-manicured castle grounds are ideal for picnics, simple games, and team-building activities. When you go, remember to carry your Maasai shuka, some snacks, and a ball or two. The castle also has some benches and swings installed for you to sit and relax on as you take in the view.