Infamous gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray are well-known for their criminal antics with countless TV programmes and films shining a light on the terrible twosome.
What is less known about The Kray twins is that they were reportedly regular visitors to Kirklinton Hall in Kirklinton, north of Carlisle.
The 1660 property, which is currently on the market through Galbraith, was originally built by the Appleby family, and further extended in 1875.
In the 20th century, it functioned as a country house, RAF base, a school, a hotel, a nightclub and a casino and a gangsters’ gambling den.
Already past its best and unsellable by 1937, the property was requisitioned to be used by the RAF, before it was bought by retired farmers Doris and Willie Hay in 1948 who transformed it into a nightclub and hotel in the sixties.
It was during the 60s that Kirklinton enjoyed a brief revival when it became The Borders Club, a casino frequented by London gangsters.
“It was slightly James Bond, very raffish. The Krays would hole up here when things got a bit hot in London. Local farmers would gamble away their lands in a single night,” says owner Christopher Boyle, speaking to The Telegraph in 2015.
It is said that exotic dancers pranced on the stairs, while big bands played to guests on a glass-floored ballroom.
The upstairs was home to a gaming room, above that, a brothel.
A change in the licensing laws saw the casino suddenly abandoned.
The property fell victim to a fire in the 1970s, leaving its interior badly damaged. The roof was also removed and the inside walls were demolished.
By the 1980s the site was occupied by a recluse who lived among the ruins in a caravan and kept geese. By this time the site was listed, but roofless and crumbling.
It was put up for sale in 2002, and bought by the Boyle family in June 2012, who planned to restore the house and gardens to their former glory.
However, the iconic property is now on the market again.
Kirklinton Hall is for sale through Galbraith for offers over £450,000.
To see more pictures and to read more about the sale, click here – Look inside once grand stately home on market for £450,000 – cumbriacrack.com
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