Welcome Byron! Glad to have you join us. Thanks for posting the link as well! Please join us for discussion anytime anywhere in the forums...dont be shy!

I agree with you Duncan. Most folks don't have the patience to build a true "castle." Most of the projects I find online are of pseudo-castles. I would love to do a more authentic castle myself. I haven't made it so far as putting anything down on paper as of yet. I am at least 5 years from getting close to making my dream a reality. At this point I am just trying to pick a style that I like. I am a mix of Irish, Scottish, and English heritage and would like to design my castle accordingly.

Speaking of your castle, it sounds like there is a interesting story. I would love to hear more

Laureen, thanks for the welcome. I hope i will be able to add a little to the discussion.

cheers

What castles are you particularly drawn to Byron?

Some of my favorite castles are Kilkenny, Conway, and Warwick, although I'm not really stuck on any one style. And some styles are obviously more realistic than others. <not really sure how many millions it would take to build a replica of Conway castle, hmm>

Welcome Byron, why the fourth?
Feel free to draw inspiration from our large collection of pics, old prints and plans that are scattered through the site, in Scottish, English, Irish, Welsh, Bucks prints, and in the Miscellanies forums.

Thanks Gordon, I've been checking out the gallery today. There are a lot of interesting pics there.

"Byron the fourth" is a name I use when playing fantasy MMORPG's. It was an idea of a friend. He said you should use your middle name and the street that you grew up on to create the perfect avatar. My middle name is Byron and I grew up on fourth avenue, so there you go.

I've been doing a bit of searching on the net for people who are building their own castles. Here are a couple of other links of "American castles"

Dupont Castle

Not really a big fan of the block he chose, but the layout seems nice. And kudos for doing most of the work hisself.

Castle Kataryna

Seems a little expensive considering the square footage or lack thereof, but at least he built with real stone.

You guys have probably already seen these sites, but I thought I would throw them up for the sake of conversation. Now discuss amongst yourselves

To be honest I'm not a big fan of 'Modern' Castles, although I appreciate that a lot is learnt from the 'reconstructive archaeology' often used in trying to create authenticity.
I'm a history buff, and a large part of that interest is castles, they are a means to building the 'big picture' of local history.
I am however happy to give advice and become involved in discussion on anything I have enough knowledge of, and am interested in how people develop their ideas.

I love castles pure and simple.
I'll admit to being a castle purist but that doesn't stop me from offering help where ever I can to those building their dreams. I don't care if a person is building a igloo with battlements I'll still answer and help as I'm able.

An igloo with battlements. Now, you're finally starting to give me some ideas

If ideas be your quest, aye we have those in plenty!!

Not sure an Igloo would be your best choice given your latitude Byron...lol

Dangit, thanks Laureen for crushing my dreams

Maybe I could build a castle out of kudzu, there seems to be plenty of that down here.

well then, you could use it cover your towers instead of ivy...lol...or Let me send you some Boston ivy....another invasive...they can duke it out down there and see which plant takes over....sorry...just woke up...still waiting for coffee to brew...

mmmm coffee!

Quick question for Duncan (since you are the only one in the building stage):

How thick are the walls on your castle and what are you using as filler between the inner and outer layers of stone. I know in the old days they just dumped left over rock and mortar. Just wondering how you are handling that.

I think I will sit down this weekend and try to draw out a little rough sketch of what I want. I like the idea of having something I can build in stages. Maybe start with a keep, then add a great hall and so on. I'll try to post anything I come up with.

Cheers

Tried to find the sketch i made but its not brought from the old host yet so I'll try to put it into words.

Thinnest is 2 feet for non load bearing walls which is only in two places that protect out side stairs from the weather.
Thickest is 10 feet on several load bearing areas and the common is 8 feet.

Like many castles broken stone is used as fill but it is layered in courses instead of just dumped.
There is no old mortar or other waste in these walls, none, I ain't taken any chances with a weak spot.

I'll try to find that image and get it re-posted for a better visualization

Wow, it sounds like you are building the real deal and not messing around. Maybe I should just forget about my castle and practice my juggling. I would probably make a great jester.

Now that ain't fair, you don't get off easy if I don't. You have a dream and you have to work at it. Besides I'd go nuts if I couldn't talk (bore you silly) to you guys about the project or my dreams.

Dunc, got any idea how much it costs per SF to build the "real" way? It would be good to look at different methods and do a rough cost comparison....we could maybe do a "chart" over time as we find info and post it in the CB forum at some point. Just good info to have on hand for when people get to that stage.

We buy in bulk, (i made a funny ... these darn rocks are not small) so have to say the materals are around $ 1.50 to 3.00 a foot depending on priceing of what shape and size of rock I want.
Not counting labor or tools of cours and bulk lime is by the many tons at a time.

I may need to make a road trip for some building lessons at some point....lol...I REALLY want to know how to do my own walls....I would actually do it your way if I learned how...instead of the ICF with the stone facade...

Road trip is fine and us meeting in Texas next year is great.
Theres no need for you to change your plans for my methods as mine could be viewed as less then sane quite easily you know.
Yours is very likely cheaper and the materials easier to use.

The forge is very much like a garden wall except the anchoring stones are a wee bit different. I promise to upload some images to give an idea soon.
Meg was working on the image folders again today so I may have to wait on that.

Okay what are y'alls feelings on towers: square vs round. It's my understanding that square towers came first but were ultimately phased out as round towers were less susceptible to being felled by digging. Would having square towers decrease construction cost? Or is there really much difference?

As an example, I kind of like the look of the keep at Rochester castle (square towers).

Discuss amongst yourselves

from a purely asthetic point of view, I like a building that uses multiple tower designs like Carew. Then again, I like the Tudor Rose design of castles like Deal.

Can't tell you if theres a difference in construction costs and any thing to do with that subject will be different from glen to glen.
Theres all kinds of building tricks that combine both squire and round in true castles.

I think round/curve designs in construction are generally more expensive but I could be wrong. I know it is true for victorian towers on houses.

Discuss amongst your selfs .... aren't you going to be in the discussion too?

Of course! Just stealing an old Saturday Night Live quote.

At first, I was more interested in some of the edwardian castles (like Conway) that were built later and therefore had rounded towers. But, I've been pursuing this website and was kind of taken with Rochester. Mainly just curious about a possible difference in cost. I do like the idea of starting with a keep and having the option of adding other structures over time.

In a more practical question, any worry about handicap access in your respective castles?

Well the quote went right over my head sorry and was hoping you didn't intend to leave any time soon.
I never get to watch much TV.

Yes the laws are a consideration due to the B+B status, café/restaurant and retail store.
I had to put in ramps to take stuff in and out of the store and into the kitchen so the first two story's were not a problem.
But the other 4 was!
Then an attorney told me what to do, ( if you can trust them. )
Put at least 2 guest rooms on the ground floor/ first floor and that would satisfy the Disability law.
Of course the rest of the tower will be off limits due to the circular stairs but other rooms and areas would be open in the domestic range and above the Tavern.

Lets face it, if I get a rash of doo doo then I'll close the tower rooms down and keep them for friends from here.
Then have the B + B above the Tavern and the domestic range open for guests.
Some where in here I think I've all ready posted that, oh well its been a while and doesn't hurt to say it again.

You can do that and still be authentic. In the 14thc the Scots built 'simple keeps', though normally there was a barmkin ( smal courtyard) built out from it.
The simple keep consisted of a vaulted basement, with one room on each story above it. The main door was directly into the great hall on the first floor, via removable ladder, though later permanent defensively orientated stairs were puy in. Size varied. Additional floors above the hall provided the lord's bedchamber, other accomodation.

Rochester is my "local" castle - I pass it everyday on the train on my way to and from work. And yes, I prefer the round towers.

Mind you, trying to get circular furniture could present a problem.

Put my mother in-law in a big round room, she'd fill it, I prefer square towers, that way we can pass her in the corners!

I prefer square towers, notice how the one round tower at Rochester
ruins the appearance of an otherwise elegant structure.

But then castles weren't built to be elegant, in fact elegance might give the wrong impression.

Castles were supposed to be functional - although later castles with additions seem to be heading for the elegance factor, which I feel spoils the appearance.

Deal is round, squat and imposing...and works defensively.

But then again Deal is a fort as opposed to a castle.
I'll settle for " Functional but elegant ".

I suppose 'imposing elegance' could be something a castle could live with, though as Andrew says it tends to come later.
Why bother with the look of it if someone is throwing rocks at you with a trebuchet! You want it to be safe.

I thought it was listed as a castle....are the other rose designs forts as well?

Yup, but it depends who's defining castle, and where you draw the line. Most of us, Paul, Andrew, and myself would call it a fort, but because it is commonly known as a castle, it makes the lists and gains acceptance 'by the back door'.
It was probably called a castle when it was built, but over the centuries the use of the word changed. As Marc Morris said, if they built it and called it a castle and that was acceptable to their peers, who can argue now?!

Having to deal with US forts from different periods of time like the frontier forts to some I spent time in during several modern conflicts I have to name it a artillery fort.