Grand Designs Couple Build UK's First Castle in Century Amid £7M Cost Overruns

Entrepreneur Piers Daniell and police officer Emma have sparked local outrage by demolishing a cherished 17th-century fortress in Warwickshire to build the UK's first new castle in 100 years, featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs. Originally budgeted at £2 million, their ambitious project ballooned to at least £5 million and could ultimately cost around £7 million, making it the largest build in the show's history. The castle, envisioned as a modern family home for the couple and their two daughters, includes traditional features like towers, battlements, a moat, and arrow slits, while also aiming for near net-zero energy use through recycled materials and renewable technologies. Grand Designs host Kevin McCloud was astonished by the scale and cost, remarking that only someone "out of their mind" would undertake such a project. Locals expressed devastation and disbelief at the loss of the historic folly, which had stood since the late 17th century and held cultural significance in the area. Despite the controversy and financial strain, Piers and Emma remain committed to completing their ambitious dream home, though they have had to put the property on the market due to escalating costs and an unfinished structure.