The project in Wixford, Warwickshire has been likened to a \u201cprison\u201d, a \u201cmulti-storey car park\u201d and \u201ca perversion\u201d. Host Kevin McCloud<\/a> also half-joked you would have to be “out of your mind” to take on a build of such a scale.<\/p>\n At 11,000 square feet, it is twice the size of the previous largest home featured on the show, a single-storey build in Colgate<\/a>, West Sussex in 2015. <\/p>\n The couple behind it are entrepreneur Piers, and police officer, Emma. The first thing to raised eyebrows was the demolition of the existing building, a 17th-century folly, which had later been adapted into an arts and crafts-style home, but which was in a state of disrepair.<\/p>\n In its place, the plans included a replacement tower complete with battlements and arrow slits \u2013 albeit in a modern design. This included a one-sided \u201cmoat\u201d, a basement pool, a \u201cvery large garage\u201d, and a separate lake-side office. <\/p>\n \u201cSo you are knocking down a fake castle to build a fake castle?\u201d McCloud asks the couple.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d says Piers, \u201cIt\u2019s a 21st century castle\u201d. <\/p>\n After buying the old castle for \u00a31.4m because the prospect of the current owner building 60 homes on the site threatened their existing house, they initially planned to spend a further \u00a32m on the new build.<\/p>\n Despite inviting Channel 4 to film their progress, Piers is wary of public reaction to the plans. \u201cI try not to tell people what I\u2019m doing, because it sounds grand and very eccentric and I think people will think I\u2019m a bit of a d***.\u201d<\/p>\n Even before the demolition is underway, the programme hints at local concerns. <\/p>\n \u201cThe local villagers have their pitchforks out,\u201d McCloud says. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m absolutely aghast,\u201d one resident told the programme. \u201cI can\u2019t believe that they would be demolishing such a lovely building.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m devastated,\u201d said another. \u201cWhatever comes in its place it\u2019s going to be a hard task to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t bother our intrepid builders though. \u201cIt\u2019s a horrible-looking building,\u201d Piers says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s pebble-dashed.\u201d <\/p>\n Soon the bulldozers move in and it is reduced to rubble. <\/p>\n Slowly the new building grows upwards as major and minor issues are overcome. Meanwhile, the budget also spirals, ramping up to \u00a35m, by the end of the episode.<\/p>\n Sadly, viewers don\u2019t get to see the completed castle. It is not yet finished, and Piers suggests it still requires another million pounds to finish it. And those figures don\u2019t include the initial \u00a31.4m for the site. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve put everything into this, hearts, souls, and financially as well,\u201d Emma says. <\/p>\n The episode ends with McCloud vowing to return and see the couple living in their finished castle \u2013 however this now seems to be in doubt as the castle has now been put up for sale.<\/p>\n![\"21st](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-04-at-19-52-55.png\")
21st century castle, now on sale for \u00a37.9m has been described as ‘vanity project’ (Channel 4)<\/p>\n