A CASTLE which was built by a pirate in the early 19th century on Bredon Hill has gone on the market.

Built by Captain Bell, the Grade II listed Bell’s Castle is being sold through Savills Cheltenham at a guide price of £2.5 million.

The gothic property, featuring battlements and turrets, sits within the boundaries of Overbury Estate and links a row of early 17th Century cottages to an 18th Century look out tower.

Captain Bell, a bold buccaneer of the Napoleonic Wars and beyond, was renowned for his daring raids and hid his loot in the cellars of the castle.

The present owner is the fourth generation of the same family to have resided in the castle since the latter part of the 19th Century.

The present owner said: “Bell’s Castle, besides its fascinating history and architecture, is first and foremost a wonderful family home.

"Many stories abound of entertainment and amusement within the walls and battlements of the castle Castle, and the majestic and ever changing view over the Cotswolds and the Malverns with the Welsh mountains in the far distance is a constant joy.

"To leave the portals of Bell’s Castle and walk or ride upon the special landscape of the Overbury Estate to the summit of Bredon Hill is a pleasure to behold.”