Thread: Real life devolopment - castle/fortress

Originally Posted by anonymousfromyou

I know once you try to attempt one of these "rare" things, the builders think "oh, this guy knows nothing about this.. lets talk him into doing this & that to charge him massive amounts".

That's why I suggested an experience designer rather than a builder. The designer is paid strictly for the design, not the execution, so there's no profit in dishonestly expanding the scope.

Windsor is far more palace than castle, not to mention very extravagant. Something a bit more modest, like Pendennis Castle, is what I'd shoot for:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendennis_Castle

You wouldn't need to be bothered with building the star fort. Just the keep would be impressive enough, even if it was merely modern construction with stone dressing.

Hmm, sorta depends if he wants real 20ft thick walls or done with blocks & stone facade. Would make quite a difference I would imagine...

Anyway - you should at least check this out:
http://www.castles-for-sale.com/sale/index.htm

To be honest, i really don't see anything attractive about that castle. When looking at other castles i must ignore the historic aspect; since this castle will be modernized and built now, not a few hundred years ago.

I am going for something a bit more.. regal with a sense of simplicity. In basic terms, i am thinking (at the moment) a square castle with circle has the corners. Those would be the watch towers rather then squares. Here is in image i found of something similar - http://www.pinellascountyfloridacrim...ine-justi.html

I want to obviously use nicer material (or newer) then the one above and make it look cleaner and more royal. I really want to make it so when you walk in you feel as a king/queen. Despite the outside look i want to make the inside very classy with modern things. Very nice marble and walls, that will of course fit the medieval theme.

My main issue is what types of rooms i could implement that i am not thinking of. What kind of things i am forgetting. I.e. a simple flag pole.

I think the small details can really make or break a castle. Make it look somewhat like this: http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/castle-5.jpg

Along with unique things like this: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/english/lion/images/portcull.gif

EDIT: A even closer model of what i would like is: http://www.lulworth.com/castle_park/...chitecture.htm

The outside figure, not the colors and styles.

EDIT 2: A even closer model: http://www.eastnorcastle.com/ -- this is the Eastnor Castle

If you are looking to build a "real" stone castle then you should check out http://www.castlemagic.com/color.html These guys build custom stone castles.

Look up HH Richardson and the Richardsonian Romanesque Architecture for a place to start.

Ok just being totally honest here...

I think the plain old 4 tower square castle pangs of plastic children's toys and cheap sideshows.

So... You're looking for a classy castle that makes adults gawk like children, where people want to get married or throw lavish parties. Land is relatively flat, hopefully there's some woods and a water feature. You don't have to worry about people flinging boulders at it- that's a plus, but you still want a castle with a regal bearing, and striking and imposing first impression- and a relatively modest gardening bill (for a castle).

I would humbly suggest something more like Ashford Castle... http://www.argophilia.com/news/irela...vership/24306/

Seems interesting !
Quick reply to say that if you look for "castle" or "stronghold" in google images, you'll see pictures of actual castles, but if you try the terms "chateau fort" (the french usage for the same thing), you'll see a lot of sketches from many sources that probably will fit more your searches.
Good luck for your project !