Liz and Gordon Jones bought Sigginstown Castle in Wexford — find out how their restoration project has been going.
It’s a labour of love and could not be more time consuming, but they revel in the battle of saving a historic building before it falls to the ground. It’s roofless and looks like it might be blown down by the next gust of wind, but they buy Sigginstown Castle in Co Wexford and spend three years lovingly restoring it. Featuring a cast of buyers, store managers, consumer writers, super-fans and the inimitable Grace Dent and Harry Wallop, this documentary investigates questions that every TK Maxx shopper has asked themselves when snooping for a bargain: Is that bargain too good to be true?
Medieval history fans Liz and Gordon Jones from the US cross the Atlantic and travel back in time after buying an Irish castle.
All of the best knowledge is in this building. “We’d like to have it be a small entertainment space, we’d like to have musical events in here and a historical tavern,” says Liz. “This has been the project of a lifetime for Liz and Gordon but also for so many others — a cast of thousands were given an opportunity here to express their ability and use their talents. “It could have been worse, it could have been better,” says Liz of the costs. They also engage what Hugh describes as “a cast of thousands” when it comes to tradespeople, craftsmen and women and artisans as they strive to complete work using materials and methods in keeping with the period. “The tower house dates to 1520, we think, and the house was built in 1670.
RTE viewers were awestruck tonight as a Great House Revival couple transformed a crumbling tower with handmade fittings.Architect Hugh Wallace headed.
The handmade roof is - as the Americans would say 'awesome'. Fair play to them. Billy said: "I think this could be the best #greathouserevival yet. Hugh praised their "focus" and "drive" to build the home with materials of the time. Fans hailed the incredible work put in by Liz and Gordon and took to Twitter to praise them. In the master bedroom, there was a four-poster bed fit for a king and queen and Gordon told of his plans for a man cave. The tower boasted incredible views of the surrounding fields and countryside but Liz and Gordon had a huge task at hand to restore it and its twisting staircase.