Astley Castle is a ruinous moated fortified 16th century manor house in North Warwickshire. It has been listed as a Grade II listed building since 1952 and as a Scheduled Ancient Monument since 1994. It was derelict and neglected since it was severely damaged by fire in 1978 whilst in use as a hotel and was officially a Building at Risk. The building reopened as a holiday let in 2012 after extensive and novel renovations that combine modern elements within the renaissance remains.
Winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture 2013 One of our most popular properties, the living accommodation is on the first floor and the bedrooms and bathrooms on the ground floor. A lift enables easy access for all. Astley Castle and its inhabitants have witnessed, and occasionally moulded, significant events in our national history. Dating back to the 13th century the site has been owned by three Queens of England. The local area is also rich in history, with Coventry and Warwick both close by.
The castle was on the verge of collapse after a fire in 1978 and far beyond a conventional restoration project. We held an architectural competition to design a Landmark for the 21st century, where unequivocally modern living accommodation was clasped within the shell of the ancient Castle. We aimed for the best modern architecture, unashamedly but sympathetically stitched into ancient fabric, today’s craftsmen and women linking hands with their predecessors.
Astley Castle became a cause célèbre for us. This ancient moated site first came to our attention in the 1990s, when we tried, and failed, to find a workable solution for it. It grieves us to admit defeat, and in the year of our 40th anniversary, we returned to Astley, for another go at finding a way to continue a millennium of occupation. It was already too late to do more than consolidate the ruins that were left after the disastrous fire in 1978, so unusually drastic measures were called for.
The rapturous reactions of those who have stayed there seem to justify our boldness. Astley has history in abundance waiting for you, but it is as likely that it is the melding of ancient and modern that will linger most in the mind after your stay. Astley Castle combines the thrill of modern architecture with the atmosphere of an ancient, moated place. Groundbreaking accommodation sensitively stitched into once-ruinous walls, a radical approach which won the UK’s most prestigious architecture award.
Own or work here?