He and his wife, Karen, bought the building, which is classed as a scheduled ancient monument, in 2004 and embarked on one of the most perilous, difficult and romantic restoration projects ever undertaken.There was a strong feeling that fate had led Francis to Peel Castle. He had spotted it on the Buildings at Risk register and recalled visiting it when he was 14 and on holiday in the Dales with his parents.
The reason is that it is now time for the Shaws to downsize from the 7,297 sq ft, seven-bedroom property to something smaller.The house comes with well documented history thanks to its time in the media spotlight. The Peel Tower dates from 1305 and was built by one of the last Templar Knights, Sir John Harcourt. For most of its life the property was owned by the Hamerton family, during which time it was Georgianised.
“That added another £100,000 to the cost but we went for broke,” says Francis, who insisted on the best materials and craftspeople.One of the smartest things the Shaws did to secure the building’s future was to install a hugely efficient geothermal heating system via bore holes sunk 100 metres deep in the surrounding grounds. This makes the property relatively cheap to run, a huge bonus in these days of spiralling energy prices.
Their castle is also filled with fabulous finds from auction sale rooms and antique shops, along with work by designer makers and artists. Francis designed the fireplace, featuring the Harcourt’s coat of arms and added the Latin motto that translates as “I spurn adversity”.He also designed the staircase, four-poster beds and the bespoke sandblasted granite bath, oriented to give a rural view. Some of the furniture and effects will be available for the new owners to buy.