Castle fit for more than a few knights

EVEN the mightiest of castles begin with a single stone.

Garry Morgan

WHAT happens when a builder with a medieval flair renovates his holiday house in northeast Victoria? He builds himself a castle.

Gary Morgan's started out as a three-bedroom weekender.

It wasn't until a few extensions later, a rampart here, a dungeon there, that the Kancoona man realised he'd built himself a castle. All it really needed was a tower and a spire. So he added that, too.

And the now retired bricklayer and carpenter mostly planned and built the 10-bedroom medieval mansion, just outside of Myrtleford in northeast Victoria, himself.

"It was basically a weekender, it was never intended to be what it is now," Mr Morgan said.

"Once the tower went in and the rampart was in, that's when it became a castle."

It's taken 27 years to complete, but after a good run as king of his castle Mr Morgan, his queen (and wife) Sandra, daughter and castle princess Paris, 8, plus son and knight-to-be Angus, 5, have put their kingdom up for sale.

Running Creek Castle has just about everything you could expect.

Dragon sculptures spout water when it rains, a six-headed gargoyle atop the castle's chimney breathes smoke and there's a knight's suit of armour.

There's even a dungeon, though Mr Morgan usually doesn't explain the "rack" is full of wine.

Paris and Angus spend their days playing at the creek, in the multitude of rooms or in the castle's own supersized aviary.

"They always say we're so lucky we were born in a castle," Mrs Morgan said.

Mr Morgan rescued building materials from around the state including the castle's spire, originally from St Matthews Church in Albury, the doors from a pub in Wangaratta and another set rescued from the Albury jail.

The only invasion they've ever had to worry about was the odd tourist staying in the bed and breakfast accommodation added to the left wing.

And the medieval-mad pair have been happy to join their guests in costume over the years.

Brett Hayes, from Hayes Real Estate in Mt Martha, is touting the clinker brick castle with a $2.5 million price tag. He's already receiving interest in the one-of-a-kind home.