Huvudsta Gård

Did the walls of Huvudsta Gård truly witness a royal murder plot? Here we stand before this grand manor house, nestled on the northern shores of Lake Ulvsunda. Huvudsta Gård whispers stories of centuries past. It’s a place where history comes alive, steeped in intrigue and the echoes of influential figures. Let’s journey back to 1651, when Imperial Admiral Count Gustaf Otto Stenbock built a magnificent yellow-painted wooden castle on this very spot. It’s a far cry from the elegant structure we see today, but it marks the beginning of Huvudsta Gård’s captivating tale. Fast forward to 1750. The estate now belonged to Anders Plomgren, director of the East India Company. He replaced Stenbock’s wooden castle with a new rococo-style building, known today as Huvudsta Old Castle. It was within these walls that a conspiracy was hatched, a plot to assassinate King Gustav III. Count Adolph Ludvig Ribbing and Captain Johan Jacob Ankarström, right here at Huvudsta Gård, planned the king’s demise. The story doesn’t end there. In 1817, Johan Wibom, a craftsman specializing in brass casting, purchased Huvudsta Gård. Wibom had grand ambitions. He moved Plomgren’s rococo creation, the “murder castle,” northeast of the main grounds. In its place, he constructed a new main building in the Russian-Swedish Empire style, intending it for the Russian ambassador. Sadly, the ambassador died before he could occupy the grand new Huvudsta Gård. Wibom and his descendants, spanning an impressive eight generations, made this place their home. Remarkably, the Wibom family still owns Huvudsta Gård to this day. Look around. The main building, the wings, the stables, barns, carriage houses, even the ice cellar and distillery, all built between 1818 and 1825, still stand. They are testaments to Johan Wibom’s vision. Today, Huvudsta Gård continues to evolve, hosting conferences and events. Yet, the whispers of its intriguing past, from royal murder plots to architectural transformations, remain.