topic Re: No negative comments? in The Round Table

No negative comments?

cee-dee — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 22:48:54 GMT

Well, one's coming up (but you knew that didn'y you?)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24287009

I think it looks a disgusting mess. How that's ever got permission, I dunno and it looks like people are camping out in the middle of a crumbling ruin.

Considering the fact that it was only burned out in 1978, it should have been restored to the way it was or left, like many, many other great houses to decay under the guise of being an "ancient monument" most of which are neither of use nor ornmament.

Re: No negative comments?

upthecreekyetagain — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 23:01:01 GMT

I don't understand your angst about this development - little different than thousands of barn conversions across the country - they've neither been restored to how they were nor allowed to rot.

Re: No negative comments?

cee-dee — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 23:13:11 GMT

They were never great houses, some were often badly built using second/third rate materials. Some never had and never will have any architectural merit whatsoever.

I'll grant you that on the other hand some were fine buildings for a barn and the best I've seen were usually part of large estates.

Re: No negative comments?

mustard-tree — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:18:26 GMT

From the outside this looks like an old church

Inside, it is a 3 bedroom home over 3 floors

Re: No negative comments?

cee-dee — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:22:41 GMT

That's not the same thing.

What they've done with the castle is to muck about sticking a modernistic house in the middle of a ruin.

Re: No negative comments?

mustard-tree — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:38:05 GMT

CD, I see what you mean. I posted that as an illustration of what they could have done.

I admit that the solar panels on the roof are a bit of a giveaway.

If they had restored the old castle to what it was originally, then build a house inside, it would have looked a lot better.

Round here, we have quite a few churches that have been decomissioned and being used as warehouses and shops, but this is the first one I know of which has been turned into a residential property.

Re: No negative comments?

cee-dee — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 10:22:43 GMT

Wales is full of Chapels, loads are either derelict, up for sale or have already been converted. Some are difficult to convert because of the huge window designs and "they" won't let them change them.

That's why I was astonished to see what they'd done with that "castle".

Re: No negative comments?

chips-and-brown-gravy — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 16:52:03 GMT

I think it's stunning, and much better than allowing it to crumble to nothing.

Beautiful brickwork in the kichen diner and a fabulous use of timber.

Good job we don't all like the same things 🙂

Re: No negative comments?

ilove2patch — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 17:33:35 GMT

I like it too. Brilliant use of a ruin in my opinion.

Re: No negative comments?

cee-dee — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 18:58:21 GMT

Ruins are exactly that, ruins.

The ruin was OK up to a point, now it's an eyesore.

Re: No negative comments?

chickengrandma-2008 — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 19:12:41 GMT

But it's not an eyesore because you can't see that there's anything inside it. I like it!

If they'd rebuilt it as it was, what good would it be to anybody?

I bet it costs a bomb to stay there!

Re: No negative comments?

cee-dee — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 19:34:18 GMT

You can certainly see they've bricked in between the walls and made no attempt to match anything, they've gone out of their way to be "different". It's ghastly. It looks like a badly done, amateurish bit of DIY gone wrong.

When I saw it being promoted for the prize, I just knew people would go for it.

Re: No negative comments?

jesse--l — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 19:43:38 GMT

I think you'd have to walk around inside and outside to really decide. Have you seen it, CD?

From what I can see, it looks quite cool to me.

It's the kind of thing people do here in France. Many buildings are ancient and they just kind of restore around the ruined bits, so you've got part old/part new.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Re: No negative comments?

cee-dee — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 19:49:16 GMT

I watched the video, that's all.

Re: No negative comments?

**bustysinclaire** — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 22:36:33 GMT

I love it too.

If that is amateurish workmanship I would hate to think what my DIY would be described as, lol, I am fairly handy with a power drill and jigsaw.

How brilliant an idea to use something so special and save a wonderful peice of history. The surroundings are just beautifull.

Re: No negative comments?

**bustysinclaire** — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 22:41:04 GMT

I'd love to see what was done for the bathroom.

Re: No negative comments?

cee-dee — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 22:48:31 GMT

Oh, hello, back with that one?

Yes, the surroundings are lovely but most of the building is still a burned out decaying ruin.

If anyone has the time and inclination, try googling Witley Court and have a look at what it used to be, what it was in the 60's and what the gardens look like today.

Over time, the building could have at least been roofed and eventually some of it repaired/restored to make a useful house.

When I first saw it, the "gardens" were a field and a lot of stuff had been sold off the site. The fountains were about to go but fortunately were saved.

If it was OK to do what's been done to that castle, what would people say if a similar stunt was pulled on a place like Conway Castle? Nearly all of the exterior is intact and it wouldn't take much (comparatively speaking) to make a house in that? Would people still think that was a good idea?

Re: No negative comments?

ilove2patch — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 22:54:46 GMT

But it had been a hotel since being a 'castle'. Actualy a manor House. The hotel burned down in the 70's. I love the resurection of the building.

Re: No negative comments?

chips-and-brown-gravy — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 00:14:57 GMT

Have you actually looked at the other buildings that were in contention for the prize? Some pretty horrendous buildings there.

Updating buildings in different (modern) styles has been going on since there were buildings, and I guess there will always be those who love it and those who hate it.

It could have been demolished completely and something hideously modern put in it's place - all square glass and concrete.

If you want to see really bad taste in houses I suggest you look at

this

Re: No negative comments?

tommy.irene — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 09:20:34 GMT

America's gaudy 'Palace of Versailles' to be finished in 2015 after 11 YEARS of construction

The owners of America's largest family home, the gold-encrusted 'Palace Of Versailles', have announced that it will finally be completed in 2015, after 11 years of construction.

Self-made billionaire David Siegel, told CNBC that he's excited about moving into the property located in Windermere, Florida, although, if someone offered him enough money - $100million to be exact - he might consider selling out.

However, his 47-year-old former beauty queen wife, Jackie, seemed distraught at the thought of letting her dream mansion go and jokingly interjected: 'Or I could live there and you could sell your half right?'