Bid to make 250-year-old castle more sustainable

ACASTLE near Bath built in 1775 is being brought into the 21st century in a bid to make it self-sustaining. upkeep but energy costs associated

Scott Adams bought Midford Castle with their occupation, this proposal in 2009 from Hollywood actor includes sustainable energy aims to Nicolas Cage and completed the renovations preserve the structures, reduce the he started. costs and the environmental footprint Now he wants to install hybrid so that the estate reduces its 30 liability on its current custodian.

“The Midford Castle Estate was purchased by Mr Scott Adams in 2009 and his brief from the outset was for the Midford Castle Estate to be self-sustaining in its energy requirements, as large as they are, and to review all possible options to Acres of woodland in which be able to meet this target.

Midford Castle sits “Addressing the known climate change issues and the carbon footprints that large, uninsulated country solar panels and a biomass boiler homes have was central to that and build a barn to store the fuel. brief.”

A planning application says: “With With 30 acres of woodland on the historic buildings and large estates estate, consultants said biomass was currently becoming an increasing the most feasible renewable option burden on their owners not only in for self-sustainability. It will heat the castle and the eight holiday lets. The plans say: “When the buildings were first constructed the heating and hot water were generated by the burning of timber sourced from the estate and this is intended to be the future source of all fuel (excluding solar).

“By reducing the reliance on external fuels, either fossil or timber, the estate increases its future energy security, viability and contribution to carbon emissions due to significantly reduced transport costs.”

Bath and North East Somerset Council will decide the fate of the application.

Nigel Vile > Midford Castle near Bath, which used to be owned by actor Nicolas Cage, below