Loveland Castle, Loveland, Ohio

Chateau LaRoche, Loveland, Ohio

Taking advantage of an absolutely beautiful Sunday, Wonderful Wife and I spent the day exploring a new (to us) Cincinnati attraction - the Loveland Castle. Located on the western bank of the Little Miami River, just to the north of the suburb of Loveland, and known officially as Château LaRoche, the castle was built by Harry Andrews over the course of 50+ years. Using stones collected from the Little Miami as well as hand-made cement bricks, Harry toiled relentlessly until his death in 1981. Harry's order of knights, known as the Knights of the Golden Trail, maintain and continue to expand the castle to this day.

View of Loveland Castle from the gardens

The castle is relatively easy to find, with visible and well-placed signage not far from the nearest main thoroughfare (US-22, aka Montgomery Rd). When we arrived, there were only two other cars in the parking lot but several other visitors materialized (including a group by canoe) as we explored the castle and grounds. The Knights, as Harry's Boy Scout troop refer to themselves, not only maintain the property but serve as interpretive guides. Officially the castle is a "self-guided" attraction, but don't be surprised if one of the Knights attaches himself to your group as you meander through the structure.

While the Knights provide a wealth of information regarding the history of the castle, its builder, and their Order, be prepared for an occasional nugget of fancy to be tossed your way.  For example, we were told that Harry, a World War I nurse, was knighted by the Queen of France for his wartime humanitarian service - which bestowed upon Harry his power to knight others. As wonderful a story as that may be, the French monarchy was dissolved by the Third Republic in 1870 - nearly 50 years before Harry arrived in Europe. One could argue that the last "queen" of France, the Empress Eugénie de Montijo, was alive until 1920 and so could have encountered Harry, but she lived as an exile in England and Spain. The story of Harry's knighthood doesn't mention any trips outside of France before he returned to The States.

The gardens

What is certain is that Harry was a man possessed of great ingenuity and perseverance. Having visited several castles in Ireland, I found his attention to detail quite remarkable. Although his man-made materials (the cement bricks formed using discarded milk cartons, specifically) reflect 20th-century innovation, it's quite easy to imagine Château LaRoche nestled alongside the Loire instead of the Little Miami.

The castle was not only Harry's obsession, it was also his home. As such, a few "modern" amenities can be seen throughout such as electric lights and running water. In what is often considered a trend in today's society, Harry grew his own food within the castle gardens, canning and preserving what he couldn't immediately consume. The Knights say that the last of Harry's canned goods remain in the castle, undisturbed to this day (and probably should remain that way!).

Coral from Hawaii

Over the years, many visitors have brought their own contributions to help Harry realize his dream. Embedded within the walls are rocks (and other materials) from all 50 states and several countries. Wonderful Wife pointed out the coral from Hawaii and the fossilized wood from Arizona.

Although the motivations behind the creation of the Loveland Castle may be confounding, it's a truly unique experience worth the short trip from the Bluegrass (and the $3 admission fee).

Staircase leading to The Dungeon

The dining hall (with our Knight guide)

Passage to the gardens

Fun!