Pemberley is Up for Sale!

[Edited 5/20/15 to add: I have been asked by many if Pemberley includes Colin Firth in a wet shirt. Alas! I regret to write that it does not. Firth is distinctly uncomfortable being asked about his role as Mr. Darcy and tries to distance himself from his most famous character.]

For the low price of only $11 million, you can own Mr. Darcy's Pemberley. Let's all pool our resources, historical fiction readers, together we can own it outright.

Eleven million sounds like a large amount, but think of what we'll be getting: five miles of corridors, a room for every day of the year, and cupboards the size of garages—and a story chockfull of visiting royalty, jaw-dropping scandals, and truly poisonous family feuds. Perfect! (The fine print is that we'll also be stuck with a repair bill of $42 million.)

Wentworth Woodhouse estate in South Yorkshire is the largest private residence in Europe. It inspired Jane Austen to create the Pemberley estate in her Pride & Prejudice as the home of the ooh là là 10,000-pounds Mr. Darcy, who was in turn inspired by the fourth Earl Fitzwilliam. (Historical note: He's not the Earl of Fitzwilliam but rather Earl Fitzwilliam—there are a few earl titles like that; more peerage details here.)

The famed façade dwarfs Buckingham Palace, Chatsworth, Blenheim, and even Versailles. (Go here for beautiful interior photographs.)

In December of 2013, architect Clifford Newbold bought Wentworth Woodhouse from the family that had owned it since the 13th century and he was determined to bring it back to life despite being in his 80s. Unfortunately, a year later, he put it up on the market as too much for him to handle.

[Edited 11/29/15 to add: The current financial situation of the house and what is being done about it.]

[Click on images to enlarge.]