The Castle: Off-Grid Retreat nestled in the Sedgwick Valley 20 mins from Bendigo

Heaven Lea Estate presents The Castle
Nestled in the heart of the Sedgwick Valley, this stately castle rises among the gum trees. Repurposed from an art gallery, this has been our home for many years.

Surrounded by bushland, featuring a vineyard, olive grove, Monet’s pond and private lake, the Castle offers a chance to rest and reset.

Ideally located between Bendigo and Castlemaine, only 10 minutes to the nearest supermarket/shopping centre, our Castle is the perfect place to explore Central Victoria.

Two Queen sized beds in the bedrooms on the second storey along with a half bath for your convenience. A reading and study nook for those languid days are also on the second mezzanine.

Downstairs is the Great Room consisting of open plan living and dining options, a bar and wood fired heater. Two large ceiling fans provide air flow all year round. Please note: there is no air conditioning but the double Hebel brick construction and solar passivity work well to keep temperatures comfortable inside (on hot days keep the curtains and windows closed and open the windows at night).

The downstairs bathroom has a large waterfall shower and handheld shower, spa bath, toilet and basin.

The kitchen consists of a gas stove/oven, wood fired oven which heats the water in winter (a solar hot water system heats the water in warmer months) and dishwasher.

Off the kitchen is an entertaining area housing an outdoor dining setting, BBQ conversation setting and fire pit. Views from this area face our cottage garden. To take in the stunning views of the Sedgwick Valley and nearby Mt Alexander, a short walk up past the olive grove on the hills give an optimum view of the panorama.

30 acres of our beautiful property to explore including Monet’s Pond, with stunning waterlilies on show and our own private lake. Wander through the vineyard or olive grove and graze the abundant variety of fruit our property has to offer including fig, apple, mulberry, apricot, peach, nectarine and almond trees.

The Pilcher’s Bridge Conservation Reserve surrounds the property on three sides, where you can explore the myriad native flora, fauna and fungi. We have enjoyed many bush walks and ‘awe walks’ in this reserve and are so blessed to have it at our doorstep.

Yours to use for the duration of your stay. Please be mindful that the property is entirely off-grid, therefore any high powered, heat sourced appliances are not to be used including hairdryers, electric kettles and electric heaters. Also consider your water usage during your stay as our resources are precious. Please note: due to the off grid nature, our hot water may take a while to heat up. We find running the hot tap first then adding cold water once it heats up is the best way to manage our solar hot water system.

The ‘Keep’, the building on the far side of the entertaining area is out of bounds and for staff use only.

Beyond the fence dividing the property is our private lake. You are welcome to make use of it, including our kayak, inflatables and boat, but please be mindful of the private tenant in the cottage on the hill above the lake. We have four resident Dorper sheep on this half of the property. Please close the gates behind you so they don’t make their escape.

We love our little slice of paradise and have found so much peace and tranquility here. We hope you enjoy this place as much as we do.

While you are staying, we fully respect your privacy, but are happy to help if any needs arise.