Century old Castle Manor will reopen its doors in mid-June under new management, offering fine dining and quaint and historic accommodations in the City of Miramichi.

Situated at the corner of Pleasant Street and Newcastle Boulevard in the downtown area of Miramichi West (formerly the town of Newcastle), the manor is within convenient walking distance for visitors to the city for many attractions, in particular the boisterous and scenic Ritchie Wharf facility.

The Manor features four large double accommodations with individual baths on the second floor and two dining rooms and bistro on the first, which can accommodate up to fifty diners.

There is a grand fireplace to welcome guests into the foyer and on the second floor a library for overnight guests to relax, which also served as a library for original owner, Dr. Heber Sproul where he regularly hosted the late newspaper baron and Miramichi benefactor, Lord Beaverbrook who often returned to his boyhood home.

The business and building, which was completed in 1901, remain in the ownership of a fourth generation of the Sproul family but will operate under a local manager, Esther Nye.  In the past the inn operated as a bed and breakfast facility under the management of Dr. Sproul's daughter from 1951 until her death in 1992.  In the past decade the manor offered accommodations on a more limited basis while the dining units were upgraded recently but operated only seasonally.  Ms. Nye has indicated that she intends to provide a year-round service should the market exist and will offer a menu featuring seafood and steaks on a daily basis.  The bistro will concentrate on lunchtime service and will be open from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Castle Manor took its name from its location on Castle Street which has been incorporated into the more expansive Newcastle Boulevard since the incorporation of the City of Miramichi less than a decade ago out of the amalgamation of the towns of Newcastle and Chatham and adjacent villages.

The heritage building which indeed takes on the appearance of a modest castle with its columns and cupola as well as stained glass, is structured of textured concrete blocks which resemble stone.  The manor was designed by late Newcastle native and architect, James Forrest who utilized only local materials and employed only local artisans, making it a truly Miramichi building.

Over the years visitors to the manor have expressed awe with the building's design and pleasure in its ornate rooms with period furniture.  Rather than labelling the rooms numerically, each bears its own Miramichi title including the Beaverbrook Room, the MicMac Room, the Riverview Room and the Acadia Room.

Over the years patrons of Castle Manor have come from all over the continent and indeed, the globe, diligently recording their signatures in the original guestbook, still intact and which will be on display for guests to peruse in the lobby area.

One former guest from British Columbia wrote back to the owners to express her delight after utilizing the facility:  "I've stayed in a house like yours in a thousand dreams Ö I thank you for letting a dream come true.  I will always cherish the memories."