THE CASTLE HISTORY

Bellville’s own Mike Newman was the creative force behind both the Castle and the bakery in town bearing his name.

Since exploring Europe and living in Italy and Spain in his early 20’s, he had the dream to build his own castle, and had made that a reality in the Bellville countryside.

Exhibiting the same hard work and determination that built his successful bakery of nearly three decades, Mike broke ground on his mighty fortress in 1998. With his creativity, he designed and built the majority of the Castle himself. Building the castle was an ongoing project but Mike moved into the castle in 2007.

“In the beginning…people thought I was crazy,” Mike revealed in an interview with Texas Live Magazine. Ten years later, and Mike could truly say that he was king of his own castle. “It makes people happy. They leave with restored faith that they can do anything.”

When he had a chance to take a break from the Castle and the bakery, Mike was an avid sailor and would go as far as the high seas would take him. He had sailed across the Atlantic, starting in France, by way of the Azores and Bermuda, with a final stop at Annapolis. He also charter sailed around the Cape Horn of Africa and later was also on a vessel that sailed from Tahiti to Hawaii. He considered all of these sailing journeys a treat.

Mike Newman passed way in March of 2024, but the legacy lives on with the Castle just as he had hoped. The new Castle Keepers are family members who are committed in continuing the dream to spark the imagination of everyone who visits.

You can find more fun tidbits about Mike and the Castle in interviews by the various television stations and magazine articles on our Media page.