The earliest castles were crude affairs at best. Their builders began by excavating a ditch as deep and wide as they could dig, overlooked by the palisade, a tall fence of sharpened wooden stakes.
These palings enclosed the stout, walled courtyard, or bailey, for the business of daily life which in turn surrounded the inmost stone tower, or keep—a final refuge built on raised ground that looked to look out over all.
They were unsightly, too, but strategically formidable, defending wealthy trade routes, rivers, ports, and borderlands while villages, towns and cities grew up around them. Fast forward a few centuries and the design evolved into the towering castles of legend, lore, Sir Walter Scott, and the Disney logo.
We of the 21st century have relentlessly preserved and adapted these great structures for our own times and needs: to dwell in light, space and creature comfort, privacy and security amid ancient architectural splendor.
Grand or intimate in pattern and scale, the castles of today exhibit exquisite craftsmanship, where every stone and tile, every pane or pattern, every inch of woodwork is selected, shaped, and placed by hand. These are artisanal homes, masterfully crafted with the finest materials and finishes, combined in exuberant, elegant detail.
Timeless yet of their time, perhaps these homes are simply castles in the air—brought to earth.