The resurrection
Stone by stone, a future took shape.
The restoration was an act of structural rescue, patient craft and sustained belief—carried through setbacks by a remarkable team.
A medieval ruin became an enduring family home.
The restoration story, 2016–2019A new era
In early 2016, Garry and Anne Wilson took on a building whose scale had deterred earlier owners. Their objective was to make it fit for contemporary life while retaining the character carried by its stone.
Planning the work
John Montgomery brought local relationships and trades together. Interior designer Peter Plaskitt and architect Andrew Burningham joined a project that required conservation, engineering and invention to move as one.
Future proofing
Temporary joists secured the 80-foot structure before ring beams were installed at every floor—described in the original account as a rib cage holding the castle together. Underfloor heating addressed the challenge of a centuries-old stone building.
Stone by stone
Ahern Bros repaired thousands of stones using traditional methods, working with the planning department and archaeologist Daniel Noonan. An unsafe main hall was dismantled; numbered stones allowed it to be rebuilt like a vast puzzle.
The crown returns
In July 2017 the tooth-shaped capstones were precision-lifted into position, restoring the battlement crown. The milestone was visible, but much difficult work remained within.
A narrow passage
The inner thread of a 1.5-tonne spiral staircase had to pass through a second-floor window with inches to spare—one of the restoration’s most demanding installations.
Completion
A castle inhabited again
By 2018 the work had endured weather, technical difficulty, delay and rising costs. Quiet Listening arrived on the rooftop that September, marking both a personal milestone and the restoration’s movement from ruin towards home.
From roofless rooms to a fire within the old walls, these photographs hold different moments in one remarkable return to life.
Discover the rooftop artworkPeople of the restoration
Work held in many hands
Garry and Anne Wilson’s account honours John Montgomery, Peter Plaskitt, Andrew Burningham, Ahern Bros and archaeologist Daniel Noonan—a remarkable company of people who helped the old tower stand, shelter and live again.