Travel Diaries: Grogan's Castle in Taveta
After the death of Grogan in 1967, the property has since been turned into a boutique hotel. It is part...
Babra Adhiambo
Taveta area is well known for its historical position during the First World War between the English and the Germans. It is also here where a magnificent Grogan castle lies.
This castle was built by Colonel Ewart Scott Grogan, an influential settler during the late colonial period.
He was one of the settlers with the most land and was both loved and hated in equal measure by the locals. He was also known for going to great lengths to prove his self-worth. Grogan walked on foot from Cape Town to Cairo for the love of a woman.
Only this way the parents of his beloved wife would grant him their daughter’s hand in marriage. Once she said yes to him, they moved to Taveta where he built her this beautiful castle in the 1930s.
They lived there until the ultimate death of Lady Gertrude Edith (Grogan’s wife), where he later built and named Gertrude’s Garden Children’s hospital (in Nairobi) in memory of his late wife which is still in operation up to date.
After the death of Grogan in 1967, the property has since been turned into a boutique hotel. It is part Moorish fort, part monastery, and part hacienda architecture with English-inspired décor design.
[ Grogan's Castle in Taveta. Photo/Courtesy]
The hotel which carries a maximum of 15 guests boasts a large 6 all en suite bedrooms and an external 2 bedroomed self-catering cottage. In the lounge area, you will find photos of Sir and Lady Grogan's and old magazines.
[Grogan's Castle in Taveta. Photo/Courtesy]
It is located approximately 20 km southwest of Taveta town on the Kenya-Tanzania border. The castle is situated on a hill, offering peaceful, quiet, and spectacular 360-degree views of Mt Kilimanjaro, Pare Mountains, Lake Jipe, and Tsavo West National Park.
The Castle is 5 hours drive from Nairobi, 4 hours drive from Mombasa, and 3 hours drive from Arusha.
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