The Story Behind Grand Designs' Yorkshire Castle

When Francis and Karen Shaw bought the crumbling Peel Castle, little did they realise what a massive undertaking it would be to restore.

Francis is an architect with a track record in achieving planning approvals for sites and buildings that are often dilapidated, ruined and of national importance.

If anyone was going to succeed with the restoration, it would be Francis and Karen. That does not detract from the feat they had undertaken. Karen and Francis were not amateurs; they knew exactly what this journey was going to be like, and knew what the budget would be, right down to the last penny.

Millions of us have followed Francis and Karen's journey on television's Channel Four 'Grand Designs' programme and the castle now has world-wide fame.

Says Celtic Castles' Founder, Roger Masterson, "I have known Karen and Francis for a while now, in fact, I remember seeing Peel Castle on Grand Designs, and my first thought was that they would have to rent out the castle to make back some of the money they spent on it. Shortly after this I received a call from Karen and became very involved with the castle when it first started letting bedrooms.

We were "rent-a-guests" for the re-visited Grand Designs programme. When the programme presenter declared it one of this favourite projects, Karen joked that they’d put a plaque on the bedroom he stayed in, stating. 'Kevin McCloud slept here'. When the programme went live, I remember we filled the property with bed & breakfast bookings for two years!"

This is a romantic story; there was a feeling that fate had brought the Shaws to Peel Castle. Francis visited the house when he was 14, on holiday with his parents. “When I saw it on the Buildings at Risk register, I remembered it immediately. It appealed because of the location and because I’ve wanted to live in a castle since I was a child.”

When the central wall collapsed during the build, it was a major financial setback and added six months on to the restoration, but it allowed Francis and Karen to rethink their original plans. As a result, they were able to capture one of the most amazing views in Yorkshire. Francis designed a fabulous loft apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows and a roof terrace. It added another £100,000 to the cost, but this is why this castle is so special; south-facing, you can view rolling hills out the back.

Experience a Castle for Yourself

Peel Castle is now a private residence, but there are other castles where you can stay, many with similarly fascinating restoration stories.

If you would like to book a room for the night, you might consider one of our castle hotels...

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