AN Englishman's home is his castle. But a castle, if last night's Grand Designs is to be believed, is suited to only the very rich or the very brave.

The ultimate in aspirational property shows returned with Kevin McLeod despairing more than ever as Francis and Karen decided they were going to restore a 14th century castle in Yorkshire.

Bearing in mind that said castle was basically a collection of stone walls under threat from nature, the elements and the passage of time and you just have to question why anyone would even attempt the project.

But our couple wanted a castle - and they seemed prepared to go to any lengths to get it.

They also seemed prepared to pour cash into an ever-deepening hole as the bills poured in.

Because of the building's historical significance they weren't allowed to put up a few walls.

Instead they were drowning in red tape, until the building started to fall down around them and common sense finally prevailed.

The beauty of Grand Designs is that the viewer can sit smugly in their living rooms watching others spend a fortune. With Kevin McLeod acting like Private Frazer from Dad's Army saying "we're doomed"every five minutes it's engrossing stuff.

But in the end, the couple were hundreds of thousands of pounds poorer but they had their castle.

Was it worth it? It certainly was for the viewer.