Property hunters are being given the chance to live like a king or queen after a castle dating back almost 1,000 years went on the market for £500,000.

Wigmore Castle, near the Powys border at Knighton but located in Herefordshire, sits on a huge 29.84 acres plot and has been labelled as one of the UK's 'most remarkable ruins' by English Heritage.

Potential buyers will be able to snap up the 956-year-old fortress as well as its grounds, including a moat and jousting field, for the average cost of a detached home.

But it comes with the slight catch that the grounds have to remain open to the public, due to English Heritage maintain a right of way for a pathway to the castle.

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By law, any property under the guardianship of the Secretary of State must be made open to the public, giving the public access to the castle grounds.

The Grade I-listed castle is nestled amongst the Herefordshire rolling countryside and sports the remains of several turrets and key walls.

While most of castle site is overgrown, its grounds have become home to a range of rare plants and wildlife.

County Times: The ruins of Wigmore Castle.The ruins of Wigmore Castle. (Image: South West News Service)

The site also houses a workshop which can be converted into a two-bedroom living space in a secluded part of the land.

Estate agents Sunderlands describe the castle as a "unique and rare opportunity" to own a piece of English history.

They said: "A unique and rare opportunity to acquire the historic Grade I Listed Wigmore Castle and grounds with a planning consent to convert an existing workshop into a two bedroomed dwelling.

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"The property extends in total to about 29.84 acres (12.07 hectares).

"The Castle boasts a rich history and was a major centre of power for over 500 years hosting several kings and queens."

They added: "Wigmore now has an overgrown appearance that once characterised many ruined sites.

"English Heritage describes the remains of the castle as 'among the most remarkable ruins in England.'"

Wigmore castle was founded in 1067 by William Fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford and has close ties to William the Conqueror.

The castle was once the stronghold of the infamous Mortimer family who held it from about 1075 to 1425 when it was passed to the royal family.

It was widely used throughout history by a variety of kings and queens before being dismantled by parliament forces during the Civil War to prevent its use.

It also has links to the War of the Roses because it was inherited by Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, who returned to Wigmore in 1455 to gather a large army for the battle of St Albans against Henry VI’s forces.

When conserving the site in the 1990s, English Heritage deliberately retained its wildness, as the castle had become home to rare and unusual species including lesser horseshoe bats.