You can rent this entire castle with a 'haunted' history on Airbnb for $533 a night, but it's only 950-square-feet. Check it out.

Dinton Castle is situated in the English countryside. The tiny property recently went viral on TikTok.

Nestled outside the tiny village of Dinton in Buckinghamshire, England, lies a tiny, 956-square-foot castle.

It recently gained viral popularity on TikTok after @londonrealestate shared an interview with the owner, John Carver, which has amassed more than 2.5 million views at the time of reporting.

The property is only about 50 miles away from London, but it could be another world, or indeed another time.

It was built as a "folly" 250 years ago. The building was used to store fossils and to decorate an estate.

It was built in 1769 by Sir John Vatterhorn, who used it to keep his collection of ammonite fossils.

The building was originally called Dinton Folly, with a "folly" referring to ornamental structures often built on grand estates for purely decorative purposes.

"It's got a wonderful view from this vantage point," Carver told Insider. "I can see why he chose this location."

In his diaries, the landowner referred to it as a castle. And it might be one of the smallest in the world.

Carver said that though it was referred to as a folly at times, there is evidence in Sir John Vanhattern's diaries and on land registry documents that it was actually classified as a castle.

However, it doesn't match the traditional definition of a castle because it's not fortified, which Carver said people get "arsey" about.

"I'd love to say there were battles fought in this very kitchen, but there weren't," he joked.

Nonetheless, Carver has chosen to incorporate "castle" into the name, drawing upon the historical documentation.

He added that it "must be one of the smallest castles in the world in terms of a building that is actually lived in."

It fell into disrepair, likely because of a fire. It was restored in 2018 by a Spanish architect.

The general consensus is that a fire ravaged the wooden structures, reducing the building to a mere shell that lay in ruins for about two centuries, Carver said.

During that time, local teenagers frequented the site, using it as a spot to climb on, smoke weed, and set off fireworks, he added.

But in 2016, a Spanish architect, Jimmy Fernandez, saw the derelict building's untapped potential.

He spent a year transforming Dinton Castle, with the process being filmed for Channel 4's "Grand Designs."

He used his skills to build a compact spiral staircase surrounded by the original brickwork, as well as making the rest of the castle habitable.

The current owner bought it to fulfill a 'boyhood dream' of living in a castle. He now rents it out on Airbnb at the weekends.

Carver said it was a "boyhood dream" to live in a castle.

When he saw that Fernandez was selling it in 2021, Carver said he was captivated by its shape, symmetry, and overall beauty, and he knew that he had to buy it.

He was also thrilled that it had recently been restored.

"There was a double whammy of, wow, this is actually a really nice historical building, it's clearly unique, and it's also functional," he said.

During the week, Carver stays in Dinton Castle's primary bedroom. But his job means that he stays in hotels in London over the weekends.

Eager to make a bit of money, he put it up on Airbnb in June 2022. Now, guests can stay at Dinton Castle from Friday night to Sunday.

It has two bedrooms, and can comfortably fit a family of four. But the bedrooms aren't big enough to hang out in.

When Fernandez was designing the property, he decided to partition a large bedroom into two smaller ones.

One has a double bed, the other has a bunk bed, and both have en-suite shower rooms.

Carver said that despite the compact size of the bedrooms, it doesn't feel cramped because the ceilings are so high.

But he acknowledged that the sleeping quarters are not big enough to socialize in.

"You wouldn't really hang out there in the daytime," he explained. "I mean, there's plenty of other space to do that."

The living-room is octagonal, with lots of space for hosting guests.

The living room is the social hub of the building, as well as Carver's favorite room in the castle, he said.

"There's a surprising amount of space, actually, and you could have 15, 20 people standing in there with a glass of wine quite happily," he added.

The octagonal room has several windows offering lots of natural light, with lots of seating for visitors. 

People love the wood-burning stove, the owner said.

Carver said that the "heart of the room" is a newly installed wood-burning stove, which creates a cozy ambiance in the space.

The room is also just a few steps away from the garden, enabling guests to bask in the beauty of the surrounding nature, he added.

While the room has a traditional charm, Carver said there are modern comforts too.

He recently installed a 65-inch TV screen on the wall, which comes with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Chromecast. There's also WiFi.

There's a modern underground kitchen that local wildlife often peeks into. It also has nods to the building's history.

Underneath the castle is a kitchen that comes with contemporary design elements, but also pays homage to the building's rich history.

The kitchen has an instant hot-water tap, microwave, oven, fridge-freezer, and a Sonos surround system.

It's partially underground, meaning that squirrels and birds can often be seen peeking through the grass-level window, which adds to the charm.

The nods to the building's past include an oven squeezed into the spot where the original fireplace used to be, as well as much of the original castle brickwork in full view.

The kitchen's interactive screen offers Airbnb guests instant answers.

The owner said he made sure that any changes he made to the kitchen were in keeping with the building. 

But one new feature is designed to make life easier for both him and his guests.

"There's a screen just on the wall next to the table, which has basically a site with all the information anyone staying at the castle could want," Carver said.

He said he created a website that has information on everything from how to work the iron to where certain things are located.

It's on Airbnb for $533 a night. And the reviews are great.

"I started with no experience of Airbnb, but I've had about 40 people and families who stay here," Carver said.

He went on to say that the guests who stay are always "dazzled and amazed."

There are 41 reviews on the Airbnb page, with an average rating of 4.98/5.

Reviews praise the historic charm of the building, with many referring to it as "unique."

It currently has a nightly rate of £420, or $535, with guests needing to book for a minimum of two nights.

 

The only downside is that it's right next to a busy highway.

Situated alongside the bustling A418 highway, which connects Oxford and Aylesbury, the property's proximity to the road is a potential downside.

Carver doesn't shy away from this, mentioning in the Airbnb listing that the noise "might" bother some guests. 

However, he said that it personally doesn't annoy him.

The castle has thick walls and double-glazed windows. "You wouldn't even know the road was out there," he said.

The garden, however, is loud.

Carver candidly said: "If I wanted to lie in a hammock on the lawn, I would be very aware of that road."

Dinton Castle is popular with Chinese tourists and those interested in its 'haunted' history. But the owner thinks it can appeals to anyone.

Dinton Castle has captured the attention of Chinese tourists, who are excited by the opportunity to stay in an authentic English castle, Carver said.

Interestingly, Carver has also received an inquiry from supernaturalist groups expressing their desire to "revive centuries-old spirits" there.

However, he decided against hosting them.

According to local folklore, Dinton Castle is haunted by John Bigg, known as the "Dinton Hermit," who lived underground on the estate until his passing in 1696.

Bigg went into hiding after the owner of the nearby manor house, Simon Mayne, was tried and sentenced to death for his role in the regicide of King Charles I of England, according to the BBC.

Adding to the spookiness, the castle is close to the remnants of an old Anglo-Saxon burial site, Carver said.

But aside from Chinese tourists and supernaturalists, Carver said that Dinton Castle has an appeal for everyone.

"It's so unique, and it's not a Windsor Castle," he said. "This is a building you can walk around in 30 seconds."