Herstmonceux Castle offered students a fairy-tale experience — the chance to learn at a centuries-old English estate, complete with a moat and peacocks strutting around the gardens.

But behind its beautiful red-brick facade, parts of the building in East Sussex, U.K., were cracking and crumbling.

In November 2023, Queen's University, which operates Bader College at the castle as its international campus, announced serious structural issues had been discovered and the site was no longer safe.

The castle was closed for urgent repairs and almost all staff were laid off. Students looking forward to another semester abroad were sent home.

"A lot of people were crying in the hallways," recalled Aaniqa Karmali, who was among those studying at the estate when it was abruptly shut down.

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