British model enthusiast, Jon Trenchard, has spent more than 30 years building the miniature castle of his dreams. He calls it Hordle Castle – a play on the word ‘hoarder’ – as the tiny building is stuffed with furniture, paintings and other items. Jon built the first room of his passion project at the age of twelve with the help of his father. Every detail here copies real interiors of historic homes. Jon took inspiration from his frequent visits to the British National Trust estates. He completed eight rooms in 30 years, but there is still a lot of work to do!
Jon started modeling when he was a child, following in the footsteps of his parents
His dad was an avid fan of model railways, and his mom was into dollhouses, Jon told the Daily Mail.
He built the first room, a great hall, with his dad
Jon had to put his passion on hold while he was at college
There wasn’t enough space in his dorm, and so the castle was moved to his brother’s shed.
When Jon got his own apartment he went back to working on the model
It took him 30 years to complete eight rooms
The miniature castle boasts a Turkish bath, wine cellar, chapel, great hall, stairs and a lavish attic. It also has an escape tunnel and its own set of battlements!
Jon has spent thousands of hours on his creations
Every little feature is lovingly crafted by hand
Jon builds his castle using recycled egg boxes and old cereal packets
He also uses dollhouse furniture
Jon’s friends are convinced that he is crazy
And he agrees with them!
Jon plans to build 12 more fully furnished rooms
The British modeler hopes to live long enough to see his project completed, and plans to donate the castle to the National Trust.
