How-to build a castle?

[RenaissanceInBlood]

Since I don't know where exactly this goes, I'm gonna put it here, and hope one o' you kind folk'll put it wherever it need be. Thanks.

Ok. I have been searching the 'net over, and I cannot for the life of me find any how-to's on building a large castle. Reason I'm searching for some different plans is hopefully, even though it's gonna cost a truckload of $$$, I'm hoping to build one. See, I want my friends and family to live there with me. Heck, it could be a group project... like, have my friends pay for part of the keep, while I pay for the other half. Savvy? I wanna live there surrounded by my peers, in peace. What I am thinking of is have secret passages inside of it. Like, the castle could look authentically medieval, but you press a couple bricks on a wall in a certain sequence and there's the television room, or computer area, or bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, dining area, what have you. I think the idea is a neat one.  Right now, in truth, I am on disability because in 1990 I had a brain hemorrhage, and I can't use my right arm for much. So, all my money is given by the government, and I live with my parents right now, because the houses/apartments are just too high to pay for. In truth, if I had friends, we would probably move into a nice house, and each pay for their own room, and stuff. I hate being handicapped. Anyway. I'm writing a book. Hopefully within a few months I can find a publisher, and get rich like J.K. Rowling did with Harry Potter. THEN I could build the castle. So, anyone know where I can get some free castle building blueprints?

[Ferret]

Since you have time, I'd suggest going to Google, type in "how to build a castle". And search. You will come up with mostly models, but even those can be built bigger.

As long as you are working on a book, I'd keep notes or write a book on your castle project too. When done it could give you your next book to get published.

Start with making your own models and drawings. Later when money allows, then you can bring in engineers to see what can be done and what can't.

When your book deal works out, you may just consider buying an existing castle. Probably way cheaper than building one.

Best wishes on your success. It may take years, but post when you are planning the castle warming party.
Ferret

[robert of armstrong]

I love this site.

http://www.castlemagic.com/color.html

I just go there to drool from time to time.  I think many of us dream of building a castle of our own from time to time.  I keep wanting to sell my house in the city, buy up some land in the country, build my self a castle and host a RenFest of my own.

Unfortunatly, with out socio-economic based economy, it doesn't look like it will be happening any time soon.

[Woodland Artisan]

If you're wanting period-appropriate furniture, for goodness sake, make your interior doors and passages large enough (non-period though) to accomodate it.  I'm working with two different castle owners here in the midwest and this is a major problem we've run into.

One of them has their castle completely finished (other than the period authentic furniture I'm building for it and some extra buildings off the main grounds) and I'm having to take into account a lot of the space limitations in actually getting the furniture into the rooms.  Designing it in a breakdown fashion along with simply just building part of it on-site (or in-room as it were) is what it's taking for that one.  That makes it a lot more expensive!

The second one, we're overcoming this problem by airlifting much of the large furniture pieces through an unfinished roof

Of course, you could also just think of (and order) the furniture you're wanting well ahead of time so that it can be installed while you have easy access to those rooms.

Just an FYI to those out there looking into it.

[Dallan]

I love this site.

http://www.castlemagic.com/color.html

I just go there to drool from time to time.  I think many of us dream of building a castle of our own from time to time.  I keep wanting to sell my house in the city, buy up some land in the country, build my self a castle and host a RenFest of my own.

Unfortunatly, with out socio-economic based economy, it doesn't look like it will be happening any time soon.

Cool site!

[serenamoonsilver]

Collective Designs has some castle plans.  Just click on castle under the exterior style in seach and they'll all come up.

This Page has been posted before, but it's some SCA folks who built their house like a castle.

Anyways, keep dreaming!