England · Still standing
Pennsylvania Castle
Pennsylvania Castle is a Gothic Revival marine mansion on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, built 1797–1800 for John Penn. The building is constructed of Portland stone with embattled parapets, projecting corner turrets and a cylindrical tower, and overlooks Church Ope Cove. It is a Grade II listed building and today functions as a private residence and hire venue.
First raised
1800
Its prime
1800
Today
Still standing
As it stood in 1800
The shape it held in its prime.
A white-cream Portland stone rectangular mansion with a crenellated roofline, projecting corner turrets and a round tower; façades punctured by regularly spaced multi-light windows with simple vertical mullions. Low curving garden walls and a broad lawn sit before the entrance side; an adjacent low gatehouse and separate lodges stand at the approach. The house occupies a raised site above a rocky cove, with a terrace and gardens sloping down toward the sea.
Its story
The story of Pennsylvania Castle.
Pennsylvania Castle is a Gothic Revival mansion built between 1797 and 1800 for John Penn, at Wakeham on the Isle of Portland, overlooking Church Ope Cove. It is built of Portland stone — originally a rectangular block, extended in the 20th century — with projecting corner turrets, embattled parapets and a circular tower.
In 1950 the private residence became The Pennsylvania Castle Hotel, which operated into the 1990s before the house reverted to a private home; it was sold again in 2011 for £4 million to a buyer from Australia. Now hired out for functions and events, it is a Grade II listed building — as are the adjacent gatehouse and lodges, in separate ownership — and Portland's most expensive residential property.
Step inside
6 places to explore in 1800.
The record describes 6 distinct spots at Pennsylvania Castle — including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more photos, more angles and more rooms of the immersive experience.
Create History
Recreate Pennsylvania Castle with AI to explore it.
The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1800 — a photoreal walk that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.
Recreate Castle to Explore →Whose castle
Clans who held Pennsylvania Castle.
The families that held Pennsylvania Castle for a decade or more across its history — follow a name to its clan.
Penn
Built 1797–1800 for John Penn.
