Grand Designs’ Castle That Cost Couple £7 Million To Build Is Likened To A ‘multi-storey Car Park’ And ‘a Cross Between A Prison And A Nuclear Bunker’ By Aghast Viewers

Grand Designs viewers have been left in disbelief after a couple spent £7 million on building the UK’s first new castle in 100 years – only for it to end up looking like a ‘multistorey car park’.

In 2021, entrepreneur Piers Daniell and police officer Emma bought a converted 17th century folly in Warwickshire for £1.4million, and demolished it to the horror of locals.

Their initial budget was £2million for the build, complete with a tower, castellations, a moat, arrow slits, and courtyards with loggias, but costs eventually spiralled to around £5million.

Piers, who founded his first start-up aged 15, was forced to sell multiple businesses, his London flat, and a home by the south coast – and even asked his mother, Trisha, for a six-figure loan from her pension fund.

By the end of filming in September 2025, the project was yet to be finished, with Piers admitting they probably needed to spend another million on it.

The quasi-finished structure shown to host Kevin McCloud was an ultra-modern take on a castle made from recycled bricks, featuring what looked like PVC windows.

Writing on X, one critic commented that it looked like a ‘multi-storey car park’, while another even declared it was the ‘ugliest building I’ve ever seen, a cross between a prison and a nuclear bunker’.

A third viewer said: ‘Is it a prison? Is it a college? Is it a power station? No it’s a “castle”,’ while a fourth simply said: ‘Money can’t buy taste.’

Others wrote: ‘I’m sorry, but it’s a no from me. What an epic unattractive waste of money!’;

‘The exterior fits right in. It’s part Tesco’s car park, part Marbella new money villa, part new build housing association ‘edgy’ architecture, part ergonomic adventure playground, part Acropolis and ALL ‘we’re richer then you”;

‘Is that white PVC windows!? Money doesn’t buy taste.’

However, one, more positive, viewer said: ‘It 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.’

Piers and Emma had been forced to put their dream home on the market in agreement with lenders in order to finish the project, meaning there was no guarantee they’d be able to live there themselves.

Piers told Kevin it was ‘probably 50/50’ that they’d be able to keep it, explaining: ‘There’s always a small risk! I’ll make sure we wake up tomorrow, work hard and fight hard and we’ll try and get the outcome we want.’

Emma added: ‘We have put everything into this, we’ve put our hearts, souls, everything’s in financially as well.’

Indeed, the home, now named Alcester Castle, is currently up for sale for £7,950,000 with Sotherby’s, featuring eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and 11,595 square feet of floor space.

It appears it still hasn’t been finished and is described as ‘set for final completion in 2025’.

Despite this, the couple insisted they had ‘no’ regrets, with Piers saying: ‘I feel like we built something quite substantial. This I think will be here in 500 years.’

‘We’re definitely done the right building for the right environment and the right place,’ Emma added.

Touring the home at the end of the episode, Kevin was shown an empty hallway and even an unfinished moat without water.

However, the home did show signs of promise, with a locally made kitchen having been fitted, and a roof terrace with 360 degree views showing lots of potential.

Locals, however, were left furious at the couple’s plans to knock down the converted folly that had been constructed on the advice of the Prince Regent to Lord and Lady Hertford at the end of the 17th century and could be seen for miles from the surrounding countryside.

Speaking on the show, one person said: ‘I’m absolutely aghast. I can’t believe that they would demolish such a lovely building.’

A second added: ‘I’m devastated, whatever comes in its place is going to be a hard task to follow.’

Piers, however, said the existing structure was a ‘horrible looking building’ made from ‘pebble dash’.

By contrast, the new home would be as close to achieving net zero energy as possible, with bricks made from recycled materials, photovoltaic roof slates, air source heat pumps and a wind turbine.

The whopping new structure measured in at nearly 1,100 square metres with 25,000 blocks, 14,000 fake tiles and 81 windows.

The old castle, it soon turned out, was an asbestos-riddled nightmare, creating £100,000 of unforeseen costs from the outset.

It took an additional four weeks for the property to be deemed safe enough to be destroyed – another hefty sum, considering their £10,000-a-month workforce costs.

Emma admitted: ‘Our bills each month are eye-wateringly large figures, £50,000 to £100,000 each month.’

Grand Designs airs on Wednesdays at 9pm on Channel 4.