{"id":335317,"date":"2025-12-25T18:33:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T18:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/335317\/"},"modified":"2025-12-25T18:33:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T18:33:12","slug":"grand-designs-nuclear-bunker-home-that-cost-7m-to-build-leaves-viewers-horrified","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/335317\/","title":{"rendered":"Grand Designs \u2018nuclear bunker\u2019 home that cost \u00a37m to build leaves viewers horrified"},"content":{"rendered":"

Grand Designs viewers were left horrified after a couple spent \u00a37million building a modern castle, only for many to say it looked like a car park, prison or nuclear bunker\"EntrepreneurEntrepreneur Piers and police officer Emma bought on old folly in Warwickshire for \u00a31.4million(Image: Channel 4)<\/p>\n

Grand Designs<\/a> viewers were left stunned after a couple spent around \u00a37 million building what was billed as the UK\u2019s first new castle<\/a> in 100 years, only for many to say it looked like a multi storey car park.<\/p>\n

The jaw dropping project featured on Grand Designs and followed entrepreneur Piers Daniell and police officer Emma as they took on one of the show\u2019s most ambitious builds yet.<\/p>\n

In 2021, the couple bought a converted 17th century folly in Warwickshire<\/a> for \u00a31.4 million. They then demolished it, to the horror of locals who had long admired the landmark, which could be seen for miles around.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Cruz Beckham’s furious meltdown from ‘power battle to Brooklyn risk and love for mum’<\/a>READ MORE: Brooklyn Beckham’s festive plans after olive branch amid family ‘feud’<\/a>\"TheThe plan was to build a modern castle, but costs quickly spiralled from the \u00a32million budget to around \u00a37 million(Image: Channel 4)<\/p>\n

Their original budget was \u00a32 million. The plan was to build a modern castle, but costs quickly spiralled to around \u00a37 million to date. The partially completed structure shown to host Kevin McCloud was an ultra modern take on a castle, built from recycled bricks and fitted with what many viewers thought looked like PVC windows.<\/p>\n

Viewers were brutal online. One wrote on X that it looked like a \u201cmulti storey car park\u201d. Another branded it \u201cthe ugliest building I\u2019ve ever seen\u201d, comparing it to \u201ca cross between a prison and a nuclear bunker\u201d. A third said: \u201cIs it a prison? Is it a college? Is it a power station? No it\u2019s a \u2018castle\u2019.\u201d While a fourth added: \u201cMoney can\u2019t buy taste.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ViewersViewers of the show were left aghast(Image: Channel 4)<\/p>\n

Another said: \u201cThe exterior fits right in. It\u2019s part Tesco<\/a>\u2019s car park, part Marbella new money villa, part new build housing association edgy architecture, part ergonomic adventure playground, part Acropolis and ALL \u2018we\u2019re richer then you\u2019.\u201d One viewer also questioned the finish, writing: \u201cIs that white PVC windows!? Money doesn\u2019t buy taste.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, not everyone hated it. One more positive fan said: \u201cIt seems I am in a minority tonight but I think the castle in Grand Designs is going to be amazing. Fair play to the couple going all in with their vision. I hope they get to keep it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe scale of the project was enormous from the beginning (Image: Channel 4)<\/p>\n

The scale of the project was enormous. The castle measures nearly 1,100 square metres and uses 25,000 blocks, 14,000 fake tiles and 81 windows.<\/p>\n

Early on, disaster struck. The old building turned out to be riddled with asbestos, creating \u00a3100,000 of unforeseen costs. It also took an extra four weeks before it was safe to demolish, a huge blow given their workforce was costing \u00a310,000 a month.<\/p>\n

Locals were furious about the demolition of the original folly, which had been built on the advice of the Prince Regent to Lord and Lady Hertford at the end of the 17th century.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe project required the demolition of a 17th-century building, which infuriated locals (Image: Channel 4)<\/p>\n

One said on the show: \u201cI\u2019m absolutely aghast. I can\u2019t believe that they would demolish such a lovely building.\u201d Another added: \u201cI\u2019m devastated, whatever comes in its place is going to be a hard task to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Piers disagreed, calling the original structure a \u201chorrible looking building\u201d made from \u201cpebble dash\u201d, though he said they would salvage everything possible. Kevin warned: \u201cThis place is damp, cold and miserable, very much out of date. But that\u2019s not an excuse to tear a piece of history down.\u201d<\/p>\n

After demolition finally began in January 2022, finances continued to unravel. By March 2023, the couple had spent \u00a31.1 million on groundworks alone, double what they expected.<\/p>\n

Banks refused a mortgage. Piers sold multiple businesses, his London flat, a south coast home and even his car. He also asked his mother Trisha for a six figure loan from her pension.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsking them to gamble their future on a project I don\u2019t really need to do is a big ask,\u201d he admitted, while Trisha worried he was \u201coverdoing it\u201d. By late 2024, a shell of the castle finally stood. Piers admitted the true cost would be closer to \u00a37 million.<\/p>\n

In despair, the couple agreed with lenders to put the castle up for sale, meaning there was no guarantee they would ever live there with their two daughters. When Kevin returned in September 2025, the castle was still unfinished.<\/p>\n

Piers said it was \u201cprobably 50\/50\u201d whether they could keep it. Now named Alcester Castle, the property is on the market for \u00a37.95 million with Sotheby\u2019s. With eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms and more than 11,500 square feet, it is still described as \u201cset for final completion\u201d. Despite everything, the couple insist they have no regrets, believing they have built something that will be there in \u201c500 years.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Grand Designs viewers were left horrified after a couple spent \u00a37million building a modern castle, only for many…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":335318,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,27521,1633,1120,96,41128,723,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-335317","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-car-parks","12":"tag-channel-4","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-grand-designs","16":"tag-tesco","17":"tag-uk","18":"tag-united-kingdom","19":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=335317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335317\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/335318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=335317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=335317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=335317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}