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Photo: MLS Image 1 of / 65 Caption Close Image 2 of 65 The castle may look medieval but it was actually built in 1980 on this 10-plus-acre property. The castle may look medieval but it was actually built in 1980 on this 10-plus-acre property. Photo: MLS Image 3 of 65 The castle may look medieval but it was actually built in 1980 on this 10-plus-acre property. The castle may look medieval but it was actually built in 1980 on this 10-plus-acre property. Photo: MLS Image 4 of 65 The castle may look medieval but it was actually built in 1980 on this 10-plus-acre property. The castle may look medieval but it was actually built in 1980 on this 10-plus-acre property. Photo: MLS Image 5 of 65 Image 6 of 65 The castle may look medieval but it was actually built in 1980 on this 10-plus-acre property. The castle may look medieval but it was actually built in 1980 on this 10-plus-acre property. Photo: MLS Image 7 of 65 The entry The entry Photo: MLS Image 8 of 65 Living room with raised piano performance space Living room with raised piano performance space Photo: MLS Image 9 of 65 Living room with raised piano performance space Living room with raised piano performance space Photo: MLS Image 10 of 65 Image 11 of 65 Living room with raised piano performance space Living room with raised piano performance space Photo: MLS Image 12 of 65 Living room with raised piano performance space Living room with raised piano performance space Photo: MLS Image 13 of 65 Floor-to-ceiling wood details in the hall Floor-to-ceiling wood details in the hall Photo: MLS Image 14 of 65 Kitchen "command post" Kitchen "command post" Photo: MLS Image 15 of 65 Image 16 of 65 Kitchen "command post" Kitchen "command post" Photo: MLS Image 17 of 65 Kitchen "command post" Kitchen "command post" Photo: MLS Image 18 of 65 Dining area Dining area Photo: MLS Image 19 of 65 Dining room Dining room Photo: MLS Image 20 of 65 Image 21 of 65 Dining room Dining room Photo: MLS Image 22 of 65 Ground-floor powder room Ground-floor powder room Photo: MLS Image 23 of 65 Staircase to the upper level Staircase to the upper level Photo: MLS Image 24 of 65 Staircase to the upper level Staircase to the upper level Photo: MLS Image 25 of 65 Image 26 of 65 Master bedroom with lounge area Master bedroom with lounge area Photo: MLS Image 27 of 65 Master bedroom with lounge area Master bedroom with lounge area Photo: MLS Image 28 of 65 Master bath Master bath Photo: MLS Image 29 of 65 Master closet Master closet Photo: MLS Image 30 of 65 Image 31 of 65 Tub in the master Tub in the master Photo: MLS Image 32 of 65 Shower in the master Shower in the master Photo: MLS Image 33 of 65 Upper level writing nook Upper level writing nook Photo: MLS Image 34 of 65 Another bedroom Another bedroom Photo: MLS Image 35 of 65 Image 36 of 65 Another bedroom Another bedroom Photo: MLS Image 37 of 65 Game room Game room Photo: MLS Image 38 of 65 Unfinished attic space Unfinished attic space Photo: MLS Image 39 of 65 Lower-level home theatre with wet bar Lower-level home theatre with wet bar Photo: MLS Image 40 of 65 Image 41 of 65 Lower-level home theatre with wet bar Lower-level home theatre with wet bar Photo: MLS Image 42 of 65 Lower-level home theatre with wet bar Lower-level home theatre with wet bar Photo: MLS Image 43 of 65 Lower-level home theatre with wet bar Lower-level home theatre with wet bar Photo: MLS Image 44 of 65 Lower-level bathroom Lower-level bathroom Photo: MLS Image 45 of 65 Image 46 of 65 Back deck Back deck Photo: MLS Image 47 of 65 Back deck Back deck Photo: MLS Image 48 of 65 Back deck Back deck Photo: MLS Image 49 of 65 Views of the secluded property Views of the secluded property Photo: MLS Image 50 of 65 Image 51 of 65 Three-car garage and guest house Three-car garage and guest house Photo: MLS Image 52 of 65 Guest house living room Guest house living room Photo: MLS Image 53 of 65 Guest house kitchen and dining area Guest house kitchen and dining area Photo: MLS Image 54 of 65 Guest house kitchen Guest house kitchen Photo: MLS Image 55 of 65 Image 56 of 65 Guest house kitchen Guest house kitchen Photo: MLS Image 57 of 65 Guest house bedroom Guest house bedroom Photo: MLS Image 58 of 65 Guest house bedroom Guest house bedroom Photo: MLS Image 59 of 65 Guest house bathroom Guest house bathroom Photo: MLS Image 60 of 65 Image 61 of 65 Stained glass Stained glass Photo: MLS Image 62 of 65 Guest house deck Guest house deck Photo: MLS Image 63 of 65 Laundry room Laundry room Photo: MLS Image 64 of 65 Wine cellar Wine cellar Photo: MLS Image 65 of 65 This $1.79-million castle in the Santa Cruz mountains has a secret bar and theater 1 / 65 Back to Gallery

The castle-like exterior of 11025 Alba Road may look like it belongs in the mountains outside a quaint French village circa 1680, but it is in fact located in the mountains outside the quaint Santa Cruz village of Ben Lomond and was actually built in ye olde 1980s on a nearly 11-acre property amidst the redwoods.

There is definitely a dedication to old-world craftsmanship in the entry, which is oak from top to bottom. Waltz into the living room and you’ll find mahogany wainscoting, a carved mahogany mantel over the large fireplace, a floor-to-ceiling library along one wall, a built-in window seat and a raised circular stage with a baby grand piano. Even more amazing, all this fine detail work was actually done by the home’s only owner, who designed and built the home himself after a fateful trip to the Loire Valley with his wife, according to listing agent Gordon Rudy.

And when we say he built it himself, we mean he built hit himself, from pouring his own foundation to crafting the three turreted towers four floors up. He did all the electrical and the plumbing, too, said Rudy, who added that the owner would work on the house on evenings and weekends when he wasn’t at his day job as the town doctor. He learned all of his home building skills at local colleges, including a stint in Berkeley to learn woodworking. “He just built, built, built and it took about seven years,” Rudy said.

Creating the chateau himself allowed the owner to put in details not found in other homes, like a secret lower-level theater, wet bar and wine room only accessible be pushing on the right wall hanging, which activates an electric switch and opens a wall on the first floor. But there’s no secret button to push to find the home’s aquarium. It’s right where you’d expect to find it—in the master bathroom.

Then there’s what Rudy described as the “hammerhead” double island in the kitchen, with twin cooking stations complete with two cooktops. That’s right, in addition to being a doctor and a home builder, the owner is also a chef, Rudy said. “He’s one of those guys who makes all other men seem substandard in our skills,” he laughed.

After putting all that time and energy into the home, why sell it? Well, as should be expected for people who built a one-of-a-kind home based on their travels, the owners are ready to take off on the road. Now in their mid-70s, they are retired and plan to spend several years traveling the country in their RV so they no longer want to be tied to such a large property.

But how to price such a unique home? Rudy admits it was “tricky,” even though another castle actually sold in Ben Lomond last year. But the agent said that “funky little piece of property” was not really a great comp since the 1927 castle didn’t have the size or acreage of the chateau. Instead, he looked at other large homes with lots of land within a few miles of Ben Lomond, even if the houses on those other properties weren’t “an architectural gem” like the chateau. “It’s hard to price it because the reality is if we were 20 minutes closer to Los Gatos we’d be a $4- to $5-million property,” he said. They ended up pricing it at $1,790,000.

The home has been on and off the market for the last two years, Rudy said, and has had several interested buyers with “funny challenges” who didn’t end up working out. But when the home came back to market this spring, it immediately saw a lot of action and may soon go into contract, he said. “The timing has been good. There have been more properties in the Santa Cruz mountains over $1 million that we’ve seen in many years,” he said. “It’s a fantasy house for the same price as a beat up Eichler in Palo Alto or a tract home in Cupertino.”

Emily Landes is a writer and editor who is obsessed with all things real estate.