Kryal Castle
Encyclopedia
Mount Warrenheip
Mount Warrenheip is an inactive Volcanic cone in Victoria, Australia rising 714 metres above sea level. The mountain is a landmark of Dunnstown, Victoria the closest large town as well as the city of Ballarat with the mountain being located at its outskirts in the suburb of Warrenheip, Victoria...
at Leigh Creek, just north of Dunnstown
Dunnstown, Victoria
Dunnstown is a town in Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of Moorabool, west of the state capital, Melbourne and close to the regional centre of Ballarat...
and 8 km east of Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
. It was built in 1972 and opened to the public in 1974 by Keith Ryall, who gave the castle his namesake, having made his fortune selling body armour.
The castle has many features including a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
, maze
Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
, castle towers, stocks
Stocks
Stocks are devices used in the medieval and colonial American times as a form of physical punishment involving public humiliation. The stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by...
medical museum, armoury. It also features shows such as jousting
Jousting
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two knights mounted on horses and using lances, often as part of a tournament.Jousting emerged in the High Middle Ages based on the military use of the lance by heavy cavalry. The first camels tournament was staged in 1066, but jousting itself did not...
, public whipping, a jester juggler
Juggling
Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
, fire eating and a "Wax Of Torture" museum. It also has accommodation and performs weddings.
The property was listed for sale with an asking price of $10 million in 2007 but failed to sell. In January 2011, it was sold after having been on the market for several years. There was interest from some parties in turning it into a medieval-style brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
. However, it was bought by Jay Finch and Wendy Alexander who intend to continue keeping it as a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
and theme park.. In August 2011 ownership of the property was returned to Keith Ryall after the Finch family were unable to complete payment for the property. There are plans to readvertise the property on the local and international markets.