Birkwood Castle £7m renovation plan nears first stage completion
The first phase of the £7m renovation plan of Birkwood Castle and Birkwood Village, Lanarkshire, is reaching completion, according to hotel operators and property developers Envestco.
The project marks a collaboration between hotel operator Chris Naylor, and property entrepreneurs Dan and Joanna Lloyd, the latter of whom has owned the Birkwood land since 2012.
The 86-acre development area, which comprises the Gothic-style, listed castle and its estate, has now been cleared of the dilapidated buildings which had been on-site.
The overall plans include the building of a luxury boutique hotel and a collection of high-end homes, and are now expected to be finished in April 2016. The next stages will seek to renovate the castle, which has fallen into disrepair, by making it structurally secure and replacing its roof and windows.
The castle will go on to form the main hotel, which is hoped will act as a centre for weddings, conferences and special events.
In contrast, the housing development will sit on a 38-acre plot adjacent to the main castle land. Its first phase will see the creation of eight four-or-five-bedroom, luxury houses.
First built as a family home in 1860, the castle is often said to be haunted, and once served as a children's hospital before closing in 2002.
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