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

This is a wonderful story about a young couple and the realization of a dream to own a castle. It is engaging, fascinating and delightful.

"Restoring the sixteenth-century Gwydir Castle" on the back of this book caught my interest as I've so enjoyed reading Sharon Kay Penman's Welsh HF books. There's a "romantic aura" to the idea of actually buying and restoring a "crumbling old stone mansion". Also, it brought back memories of my first house that required a significant amount of remodeling. Although my husband and I did knock down a wall with sledge hammers and do most of the other work ourselves it in no way compared to this historical undertaking (we're talking about 40 rooms here). I mention this only because if you've done some DIY projects, you'll be amazed at their accomplishment. In America, I've no doubt these "ruins" would have been razed decades (if not centuries) ago, such was the disrepair. In northern Wales, this young couple faced squatters, bats, and rodents. They found skeletons, reported ghosts, and met some incredible challenges from nature. There were chapters where I thought, "this is where I would have bailed out". Judy Corbett writes her narrative as if she's sitting opposite you sharing a cup of tea. Every component of the restoration is fascinating. Her description of bone-chilling damp cold had me pulling up the comforter and I felt her exhaustion after 18-hour days of toil and grit. There's humor when fund raising needs bring paying visitors, the suspense of a surprising deal with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and even a sojourn with royalty. I'm glad she decided to share the "adventure". One negative...I craved more detail, most chapters were disappointingly too short. The plus... they have a website describing the rooms they rent, weddings they host, and a general history of the former occupants.

I just received the book and am only into the first third, but I can, without hesitation, say it is captivating and rewarding. I was, and am (although currently frustrated due to lack of projects), a restorer. It only took three pages for me to know I travel the same path as Corbett & Welford, both in spirit and determination. These kinds of restorers are driven by love, dreams, and a powerful determination to rescue & save.I was a contractor for a while and dealt with different kinds of clients. There were those who wanted to turn an old house into a fragile museum, those who wanted to turn an old house into a drop-ceiling/wall-to-wall/vinyl paneled box, those who wanted to take off the moldings & doors, protect the floors & stairs, then completely gut & modernize the house before putting the "charm" back on. Very rarely was there a client who wanted relaxed authenticity - which was why my work as a contractor lasted only "a while".It's the authenticity of their restoration that I applaud. These are people who strive to return the house to its original state out of respect for its history & craftsmanship. For people like these two, it's a matter of honor. And I understand that.So, if you suffer from that perilous passion to rescue & restore old buildings, this is the book to keep you good company.

I was captivated by this story from page one. There is so much here; the story of the castle itself, the gardens, the ghosts. The trials and tribulations of the restoration by a resolute couple who never wavered from their goal of bringing the faded gem back to its glory, no matter the obstacles. The prelude to the wedding, the trip to New York City to recover the dining room, the floods (still ongoing.) Judy Corbett has shown herself to be an admirable writer in recounting it all. I read this prior to a visit to Wales and was able to incorporate a visit to Gwydir and had the opportunity to meet Judy and Peter and hear their story firsthand.But even if you can't get to Wales, you will enjoy this book and cheer this valiant young couple on in their great adventure.

Bought this book from the author while staying in this castle as a bed and breakfast. Located in beautiful part of Wales. The author and husband very hospitable and really enjoyed the castle tour. Found it very interesting to read how they got to the point of reconstruction and renovation that had been done by time we stayed there. Look forward to another stay sooner rather than later we hope.

I had the absolute pleasure of 'finding' Gwydir Castle on a trip to Northern Wales in May of 2010. Completely unaware of this castle, we were driving by and saw a peacock on the top of the stone wall. To my amazement, and totally off the beaten path of our itinerary, we stumbled upon this beautiful place. Upon getting out of the car and going to the huge wood gate, we noticed the hours of visitation were almost over. I wanted pictures of the beautiful peacocks and asked if pictures were allowed. The caretaker was gracious enough to let us in and wander about and spend as much time as we wanted to look around. I was not aware of this book until I returned to the US. I immediately ordered it! Judy had taken me back through every room of that castle and the grounds. I looked through her eyes as if I was there visiting again with the same amazement and awe that I had seen with my own eyes! This 'find' on my trip was probably the most beautiful and unexpected experience of my life. I will never forget it and it will always remain in my heart. I am thankful that the author's experience was like mine and she had the sense to write about it!

A descendant of the original owners of Gwydir Castle told me about this book. I read it and loved it! I loved it so much that 5 years ago and then again in April 2018, we visited the Castle. They have two really nice B&B rooms they rent. You have free range of the castle before they open for tours. The ghost stories are very compelling. So compelling that when I walked into our sitting room, which was open to tourists during the day, I scared the bejeebies our of a father and his two sons!!!! Go stay there if you're in the neighborhood...if you can't stay, do visit!

What a wonderful read about a place that is obviously very special to it's owners/custodians.On the one hand, this seems to be about an ordinary couple who but and restore a Tudor house. Except of course, there is nothing ordinary about their determination and what they achieved. It is one of those books that just isn't long enough. If you have even the slightest interest in the subject, or even ghosts (yes really), then this is well worth reading. Kindle is great for amassing a library without taking up much space but I would be happy to add the actual book to my shelf.I think I must have visited Gwydir Castle as a child while on holiday many years ago in North Wales and I am looking forward to being able to visit again when they are able to re-open to the public.

I came across this book while researching medieval Welsh houses and the first page on preview sucked me right in. The rest continues in more or less the same vein. The author has an incredibly vivid and humourous style and puts the castle fair and square in the centre of the story as the star of the story. It's one of the most entertaining books I've read in years, though I was desperate for some 'before' pictures.

I found this account of the restoration of Gwydir Castle both moving and inspiring. I read the book over two days and felt every success and setback along with the quite heroic couple who fell in love with this building. I went to visit the house in June 2021 and saw the magnificent job they have done and had the privilege to briefly meet the owners. I would really recommend both the book and the visit!

CASTLES IN THE AIR was sitting on my bookshelf for a while before I got around to reading it - usually I am a faction girl, so this piece of non-fiction was a slight detour from my usual escapism. However, once started, I was hooked. Admittedly, the picture on the cover first drew me in, with its romance and fairytale quality - what I found when I began the book was that the picture on the cover had done the story justice.CASTLES IN THE AIR tells the story of Corbett and her then future husband's purchase and then restoration of a sixteenth-century mansion, Gwydir Castle in North Wales. Although it was virtually derelict when they first saw it and fell in love with it, years of patience and the foresight to see the potential meant that they were able to bring this gorgeous building back to life.But, to say that CASTLES IN THE AIR is simply the restoration story of a young couple hooked on accomplishing their dream is to simplify the book and to take away a lot of its credits. Corbett is able to put her passion and love for the building to paper, and this love seeps off the pages. She perfectly manages to 'draw' a picture for the reader, showing the beauty of the house. For me, her telling of their story had bags of romanbce - the way she described the scenery and their way of life, despite at times living in something which was akin to squalor. Corbett has taken just the right amount of history, fact, humour, personal reflection and memoir to create a book which is not about bringing a building back to life, but rather about creating a future and a life with her partner.For me, a person who loves castles and the landscape of Wales, the only way this book could have been even better would have been for me to be sitting in Gwydir's grounds whilst reading.

I've visited Gwydir Castle twice and only just remembered there was an associated book about the restoration. It's got me reading again, I was struggling to make it through the book I was reading prior to this. I dropped it for this and read it every day, such an easy read as it's written so beautifully. What a stunning account of a truly special place. A must read book!