Australian couple's 100,000-brick fairytale castle unfinished after 22 years

An Australian couple who decided to get married only after completing their dream home have been waiting for their wedding for 22 years. Christina Kent and her partner Francis Shepherd bought five acres of land near Geeveston in Tasmania to build a fairytale castle themselves. More than two decades later, their unusual home, called Castle Phoenix, has 27 rooms, stands 17 metres tall and has used around 100,000 bricks.

However, construction is still underway, with just three of the eight planned turrets completed. The couple has continued working on the property despite financial difficulties, health problems and years of demanding construction work.According to ABC Australia, their story began in Queensland, where Christina met Francis through a motel owner while teaching an art lesson. Francis worked as a tiler and sculptor, and he wanted to build a castle inspired by the kind of buildings he had admired for years.

Christina was interested in his idea, and their relationship developed quickly. Within three weeks of meeting, they were engaged.The opportunity to turn that idea into reality came two years later. During a visit to Christina's niece in Tasmania, they found a five-acre property outside Geeveston. It had a small cottage, an apple orchard and enough space for the large home Francis wanted to build.

The asking price was just over A$200,000. They bought the land and moved into the cottage while preparing for construction.Francis began working on designs for a large home with several floors and tall turrets. The couple sought professional help to prepare the plans and applied for permission to build. This was when they also decided their wedding would take place once the castle was finished.

At the time, they could not have known how long the project would continue.How couple turned their idea into a projectThe first challenge was getting permission for such an unusual building. According to the official Castle Phoenix website, the proposed height was considerably greater than the normal eight-metre limit in the area. The couple wanted a structure reaching 17 metres.Their application received council approval in late 2009, and building permission followed in 2010.

However, they still had to find the money and carry out much of the construction themselves.Christina sold her house in Mackay, Queensland, and the couple arranged a small loan. Francis continued working as a tiler, with Christina assisting him, so they could earn money for the project. Their own construction work took place around those jobs, including during evenings and weekends.The early stages involved preparing the land and creating the underground sections of the building.

Work on the sculpture garden began in January 2010, while excavation for the castle followed later that year.Progress was slow because the structure required extensive groundwork. The couple spent several years building the basement before the upper walls began taking shape.Their official construction records show that by early 2012, six basement rooms had concrete floors with underfloor heating.

Work on staircases, arches, walls and other sections continued over the following years.What makes Castle Phoenix different Castle Phoenix is not simply a large house with towers. Christina and Francis have treated the building as an art project, creating many of its decorative features themselves.According to Christina's account published in Australian magazine That's Life!, the couple have used around 100,000 bricks, cutting them into approximately 300,000 pieces during construction.The building also has a basement extending three metres underground.

Christina said the structure already weighs around 600 tonnes.Inside, the couple has created unusual rooms and decorations. One underground space has a rounded design that causes sounds to echo. Another contains a tree sculpture with handmade leaves.The entrance area has hundreds of ceramic flowers made by the couple. They have also used colourful mosaic tiles across different parts of the property.Outside, the grounds contain a sculpture garden, flowering plants, a lake and a moat.

A balcony inspired by the fairytale character Rapunzel is another feature of the castle.Years of construction brought challengesWorking on such a large project has not been easy for the couple. Christina said they had faced financial pressure and health problems while trying to continue construction.However, they have not worked entirely alone. Francis' mother Hope, his sister Veronica and several friends have helped with decorative features, particularly mosaics in the gardens.Over time, the castle also began attracting attention.

Christina started sharing updates on Facebook in 2012, and people outside Tasmania gradually learnt about the project.According to her, visitors from Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom have approached the couple for tours.The couple have also considered what should happen to the property in the future. Christina said they would like the public to enjoy Castle Phoenix after they are gone.When will the wedding take place?Although much of the castle has been built, several major parts remain unfinished.

Francis began working on its conical rooftops in 2023, but only three of the eight planned turrets have been completed. Christina said exterior tiling was continuing, while the couple hoped to install the windows in 2027.Their wedding, meanwhile, remains on hold. In her account to that's life!, Christina recalled their decision to wait until the castle was complete. "We said we'd get married when the castle was finished; that was 22 years ago!

Lucky I like long engagements!" she said.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.