About Carr Hall Castle

---

Owned by Leeds entrepreneurs Terry George and Michael Rothwell, the castle, available for hire for luxury breaks, is situated in a secluded, wooded valley, adjacent to a deer park, midway between Leeds and Manchester.

Terry and Michael spent 4 years toiling over the renovations, spending almost £1 million transforming it, with the interior designed by Ben Huckerby of Ben Huckerby Design. Ben says "I recommended taking the walls back to the original brickwork and creating an opulent look with deep colours, dark wood and highly textured fabrics"

The castle was the winner of Channel 5's I Own Britain's Best Home. Voted for by the public, it beat off stiff competition from 26 other luxury homes around the UK, including a stately home and a converted water mill. It is now hired out for luxury short breaks and luxury weekend breaks.

Set in 12 acres of lush land, there's an outside courtyard with barbeque area and a lake with a rowing boat.

In 2008, the Castle won the coveted title of 'Britain's Best Home', voted for by the British public, beating off stiff competition from 27 other stunning homes.

Over the course of 8 heats, architectural designer Charlie Luxton, interiors consultant Melissa Porter and developer Russell Harris put 24 dream houses through their paces with a luxury stay as live-in house guests. Their task was to interview owners who were passionate about their homes and had toiled over the design and decor to leave their personal stamp on the buildings.

It's all a far cry from the first home that Terry and Michael owned, a back-to-back in Leeds that cost them £7,500 in 1991. Michael, who grew up in a Salford council flat said "To go through five years of living on a building site, with all the mess and rubble, and working through the night on many occasions to get the house to the standard we wanted was hard work. To finally sit back and enjoy the delights of the property, then to be told that we own Britain's best home and live in such luxury accommodation is beyond belief. I think the reason why people chose our house and voted for us is because there is a real British dream for many people who want to live in a castle, and they could see us as two ordinary people who actually do live there."

Terry who grew up on a Leeds council estate and went without electricity for 2 years when his mother couldn't afford to pay for it adds, "just to be asked to take part in the competition was an achievement in itself. We never expected to get through to the final, let alone win the title. To us it's everything we love about a home and to have other people voting for it as their favourite is a huge accolade. It is grand from the outside, but once you step inside any of the rooms it has a cosy, intimate feel."