‘When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up. And that’s what you’re going to get, Lad, the strongest castle in all of England.’

Monty Python and the Holy Grail – excerpt      

In the course of its almost 250-year history, the castle has undergone numerous alterations, restorations and reconstructions. After the nationalisation, despite the difficult circumstances of the children’s home functioning here, it was more or less possible to preserve some of the castle’s values.

The external appearance of the castle is practically the same as it was before the Second World War. This appearance is an extremely complex, organically grown system that has been modified and transformed many times over many, many eras. During the complete renovation we got to know every nook and cranny of the building, almost breathing with it.