Reduced to rubble: Secret Tudor castle at centre of planning demolished

Just a few months ago it was one of the most impressive houses in its particular corner of Surrey.

Now, after a bitter nine-year planning battle, this is all that remains of Robert Fidler's dream home, the Daily Mail reports.

The mock Tudor 'castle' thought to have been worth in the region of £1million is just a pile of rubble after Mr Fidler obeyed a court order to demolish it rather than face jail.

He had managed to conceal the construction of his striking home in 2000 by hiding it behind a wall of hay bales on his farm in Salfords.

However, once Reigate and Banstead Borough Council discovered the building – which was put up without planning permission on green belt land – the farmer was ordered to knock it down.

That was nine years ago – and the once-grand home has now finally been razed after Mr Fidler, a 67-year-old grandfather of 11, was threatened with a prison sentence.

Until the family uncovered their home in 2006, Honeycrock Farmhouse remained hidden behind a 40ft stack of hay bales, which was covered by sheets of tarpaulin.

Mr Fidler, who lived at the house with his wife, Linda, 46, and youngest son, Harry, 15, had hoped that concealing the house would see him exploit a loophole that if a construction lasts four years uncontested, authorities cannot touch it. 

After a lengthy legal battle and numerous court appearances, in November 2015 a High Court judge warned that he could face a three-month prison sentence if the structure was not demolished by June 6 – Monday.

Cattle farmer Mr Fidler began work to raze the family home last month.

He said then: “Tearing down the house is completely pointless, it's completely ridiculous, and totally wrong. 

There's supposed to be a housing shortage, but all they intend on doing is spending thousands of pounds getting one house demolished.”

He originally began building the four-bedroom castle farmhouse around two grain silos, used as a frame for the circular towers. 

In March this year, he said: “We have to say we have had 15 wonderful years living in a beautiful house and we will have to see what we do next.”