This is not an official
Lego site.
These castles were all built by Bob Carney using standard Lego bricks and parts.
Each castle is a scale model of a real European medieval castle.
The first phase of each new project begins with in depth research
in libraries and on the internet, and then drawing the plans to
"Lego scale", typically using 1/8" graph paper.
Once I'm reasonably sure I've got enough of each kind of Lego
brick needed to complete the project, I'm ready to build.
I have just completed my 144th and 145th castles in Lego - the
massive Belvoir Castle, a concentric ruin south of the Sea of Galilee in
northern Israel, and the tiny Coxton Tower several miles south of Elgin in
northern Scotland. Much of the first half of 2014 was dedicated to a commission to
rebuild my beloved Schloß Neuschwanstein [#143], first built in 2010, this
version to feature the ornate Throne Room and Singer's Hall, as well as the
King's bedroom, all in the Palas. I will add pictures of that
phase of building to the Neuschwanstein page soon. Otherwise,
I've arranged the castles I've built by their country of origin. Just click on any of the
castle names that interest you (or all of them if you like) and
you'll be treated to several photographs and a plan of the real
castle, a brief history (possibly with personal notes) and
pictures of my Lego model. There's also a Build Your Own section
with my working Lego plans and one or more URLs referring you to
related castle sites on the World Wide Web. Here are a pair of
quick links to two more of my most recently completed models: Château de Thoury (September
2013) in what used to be called Bourbonnais in central France,
and the classic C-plan Castle Stewart (February-March 2013) overlooking the
Moray Firth near Inverness, Scotland. I am happy to report that Castle Stewart
has found a permanent home in southern Illinois!
You can also
click on the name of the country where the castles are located (or
the small picture) to link to a Castle Locator Map, with castles
listed in the order I built them [maps for non-France portions of
Europe will be made after I've built a few more castles!]. Also,
after countless emails, I've decided to include a FAQ section which will hopefully answer
most general questions. I'd still like to hear your comments! An
updated castle lineage is now available -- it shows the
order in which the castles were built and in which country the
castle is located. The castle currently under construction is
also noted, if applicable.
I have also added a page for novice but enthusiastic castle
builders which is basically made up of several of my early
castles which have largely been ignored on this Main Page due to
the larger later edition. Pictures of the smaller castles plus
available plans and elevations can be found at Early
Castles and should be
more rewarding for the beginner. There is also a Castle
Builders' Page where
you can enjoy the efforts of some your colleagues! I will update
it as regularly as I receive input from various Lego friends.
While researching and modeling
castles is my love, occasionally I use my Lego to build other
things. Here's my favorite non-castle projects on a page entitled
Trains, Ships and Other Stuff, including my 22-oar
Viking longboat. And in the spring of 2011 I built to mini-fig
scale the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, Great Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II,
located in the Valley of the Queens in Egypt. The ancient artwork
is not Lego hieroglyphics, but authentic. In addition, I've
assembled, at the suggestion of my friend Dan Vallauri in Monaco,
a page which I call Lego Bar Art. When my wife Judy and I remodeled
our lower level in 2000 (see Storage System below), the playroom
bar was covered with 48-stud Lego baseplates. I've been doing
"mosaic art" on the bar face ever since, and I've
decided to show it off, since others might enjoy making their own
variation(s) on this theme. Let me know what you think.
Then there is a page describing the history, design, purchase and
setup of my plastic tip-out bin storage
system. If you are
thinking about a major alteration in the way you are sorting and
storing your Lego bricks, and you are willing to spend a fair
amount of money for the huge convenience, then click on the link
above. And don't forget about BrickWorld 2015 at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in
Schaumburg, Illinois next June. I'll be there with a castle or two - to be
announced. Finally, you will see no advertising on my webpage,
but I must put in a plug for BrickJournal. And thank you all very much for
visiting my Lego Castles webpage!
Wales
Beaumaris
Caerphilly
Carreg Cennen
Castell Coch
Chepstow
Conway
Dinefwr
Grosmont
Harlech
Kidwelly
Monnow Bridge
Rhuddlan
Weobley
|
Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, and The
Netherlands
Aigle (Switzerland)
Chillon (Switzerland)
Crupet (Belgium)
Muiderslot (Netherlands)
Neuschwanstein (Germany)
Prunn (Germany)
Stahleck (Germany)
Stegeborg (Sweden)
Die Wartburg (Germany)
|
Italy, Spain and Portugal
Adranò (Sicily)
Almourol (Portugal)
Castel del Monte (Italy)
Fuensaldaña (Spain)
Mareccio [Maretsch] (Italy)
La Mota (Spain)
Rocca Scaligera (Sirmione, Italy)
San Giorgio (Mantua, Italy)
Torre de Belém (Portugal)
|
Eastern Europe and the Near East
(Poland, Romania, Hungary, Estonia, Croatia, Israel, etc.)
Bedzin (Poland)
Belvoir (Israel)
Bran (Romania)
Diósgyõr (Hungary)
Dubovac (Croatia)
Kuressaare (Estonia)
Vajdahunyad (Romania)
|
Site created and maintained by Robert Carney.
