Grand Designs couple are selling their restored 'mini-folly': 200-year-old Dinton Castle for sale for £850k following year-long renovation

The miniature Buckinghamshire castle that featured on Grand Designs in September is for sale.

Spanish architect Jimmy Fernandez and his wife Mimi bought the crumbling Grade II-listed folly for just £100,000, without knowing if they’d be able to secure planning permission to turn into a family home for themselves and their two young children.

They had a budget of £200,000 and went over by £100,000, meaning they spent roughly £400,000 in total. Their quirky two-bedroom home has recently been listed for sale with a guide price of £850,000.

The couple managed to get the green light from the council but were unable to expand upon the original, tiny footprint. Nevertheless, they set about transforming this 200-year-old relic, aptly described by Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud as “a building that doesn’t want to stand up anymore”, over the course of a year. Read all about their trials and tribulations here.

A THOROUGHLY MODERN TRANSFORMATION
Dinton Castle near Aylesbury Vale was built in the 18th-century as a folly to house a local gentleman’s fossil collection, much of has been worked into the building’s limestone and red brick exterior.

The three floors are all octagonal-shaped, with exposed stone and brickwork creating character and cosiness from the moment you step inside the grand entrance.

Stairs lead down from the hall into a kitchen-breakfast room with high ceilings, exposed oak timbers and underfloor heating.

The gas range cooker set into the fireplace is a highlight, while the solid wood worktops add to the sense of warmth. The first-floor sitting room is lovely too, with views from almost every angle.

Jimmy's pride and joy, a spiral staircase made from giant chunks of plywood, leads up the east turret through two double, ensuite bedrooms to a roof terrace, creating the feeling of “being in a treehouse” and playing into the building’s sense of magic and romance.

From there, you can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Outside there is just under an acre of land, planted with mature oak, beech, Scots pine and holly trees.

Planning permission has recently been granted to add a detached storage room, should the lack of space inside put you off.

London Marylebone is just over an hour away by train.

Dinton Castle is for sale for £850,000 through Hamptons International. Call 01494 355 341 for more details.