Castles in the Air: The Restoration Adventures of Two Young Optimists and a Crumbling Old Mansion

by Judy Corbett

Overview

When Judy Corbett caught sight of a great stone mansion in the craggy wilds of north Wales, she had little idea of the adventure on which she was about to embark. She and her husband, Peter, had long dreamed of buying an old ruin and escaping the pace and excesses of modern life. But it was only when they had moved into the vandalized, squalidly filthy, cold and wet Gwydir Castle that they began to realize what restoration dramas lay ahead. Restoring the 16th-century castle, which reduced the couple to near penury, turned their lives into a curious blend of real and imaginary, past and present. But the magic of the place, its history and the landscape, ensured that they stayed to tell this charming, deeply romantic tale of escape and homecoming.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780091897314
Publisher:	Crown Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2005
Pages:	308
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.80(d)

Editorial Reviews

The remarkable tale of one couple’s quest to restore a crumbling 16th-century Welsh castle to it’s original, authentic grandeur—against all odds. Beautifully descriptive, this is a tale that reverberates with romance, suspense, and great humor.”  —The Good Book Guide

From the Publisher

When Judy Corbett and her husband to be, Peter, dreamed of finding a historic old house in the Welsh countryside to restore, they couldn't possibly have realized what they were letting themselves in for. Gwydir Castle, nestled under a hill on the edge of Gwydyr Forest in north Wales, dates from the 16th century and has suffered, in the last 90 years alone, a devastating fire and conversion to a seedy nightclub. Bats, rats, and other wildlife had the run of the place, the roof was falling in, and the air reeked of beer, urine, and damp. In their efforts to restore this romantic old house to something of its former glory, Judy and Peter, along with colorful friends and local contractors, battle floods, a vindictive ghost, and an often nonexistent bank balance. Today the castle is their home, as well as a bed and breakfast. Judy neatly weaves the past and present together in a well-written, heartfelt story that is alternately romantic, eerily mysterious, and very funny. Highly recommended for all public libraries.-Linda M. Kaufmann, Massachusetts Coll. of Liberal Arts Lib., North Adams Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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