Astley Castle - Decline and Restoration

Decline and Restoration

The property was leased out during the 20th century and in the early 1960s became an hotel. It was largely destroyed by fire in 1978 and thereafter the ruins stood neglected and deteriorating. Much effort to find a use for the shell that would justify the substantial cost of renovation came to nothing. In the early 2000s the owners together with English Heritage, the local authority and the Landmark Trust planned for restorations that were finished in 2012. They sought to create a "Landmark for the 21st Century" that introduced modern accommodations while maintaining the ruins. The renovations were designed by Witherford Watson Mann Architects.

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