David and Frederick Barclay

Identical twins, Barclay brothers bought one of the Channel islands, Brecqhou island in 1993 for £2.3M and since then have fortified the island with a gothic castle. However, the ownership of the island has been a bone of contention and a topic of much unwanted controversy for both the brothers and the government.

Location

 Brecqhou (or Brechou) is one of the Channel Islands and part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It is located just west of Sark and has a surface area of approximately 200 acres (0.81 km2).

Castle

 The brothers have built a beautiful and huge Gothic-style castle on the Island with 100-foot-high granite walls around it. The banqueting room is 80 meters long and has a gold-leaf ceiling. The walls of the castle are hand painted inspired by the Sistine Chapel. 90,000 tons of materials were carried to Brecqhou by boat to complete the castle in 1996.  The total expense of the castle was around £30-60 million. Quinlan Terry designed their luxurious 0.91m granite made walls castle on the island including two swimming pools and a chopper pad. 

  Sark claims Brecqhou as its own part which is strongly refuted by its current owners, who, by the virtue of Under the Reform (Sark) Law 1951, considers Brecqhou as their private property. The Barclay brothers have also expressed their desire to make Brecqhou a politically independent entity. They drive cars and land helicopters on the island, both of which are prohibited under the Sark law.  

How to get there

The only way you can get to the island is through a boat or a small helicopter. A hand-glider will also do the job.