Project
Astley Castle
Astley Castle in Nuneaton stands as a benchmark for contemporary restoration, earning the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2013 for its visionary approach. Once a roofless ruin with centuries of decay, the medieval structure – formerly owned by the three queens of England – was transformed into a remarkable holiday residence by Witherford Watson Mann Architects for the Landmark Trust.
Rather than replicating the past, the architects Witherford Watson Mann preserved the castle’s raw, fragmented presence and inserted a modern home within its ancient walls. New Petersen brickwork carefully binds the medieval remnants, stabilising the structure while leaving elements of ruin exposed to maintain a sense of historical continuity. The result is a sensitive, layered composition of past and present – functional, architectural, and symbolic.
