Downton Shabby: One American's Ultimate DIY Adventure Restoring His Family's English Castle
- Downloads：5086
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-01 10:19:37
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Hopwood DePree
- ISBN：B097975PM4
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Janis
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A light read about a Hollywood producer who discovers his family has ancient ties in England – and to a decaying estate once held by an ancestor。 He becomes increasingly involved in its repair and in the people who have worked hard to maintain it as best they can。 Not everything gets wrapped up in a neat bow， but this is a charmer that had me rooting for the author， his friends， and Hopwood Hall。
Luanne Ollivier
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Hopwood DePree's new book， Downton Shabby: One American's Ultimate DIY Adventure Restoring His Family's English Castle， caught my eye。 Having lived in an older （150 years） home for many years， I was drawn to DePree's book about his restoration - which is a little older at 600 years！How does a Hollywood actor， producer and more end up England， restoring a ruin？ It's all in the name。 When he was younger， Hopwood went by his middle name。 As an adult， he choose to use his given name， as it was memor Hopwood DePree's new book， Downton Shabby: One American's Ultimate DIY Adventure Restoring His Family's English Castle， caught my eye。 Having lived in an older （150 years） home for many years， I was drawn to DePree's book about his restoration - which is a little older at 600 years！How does a Hollywood actor， producer and more end up England， restoring a ruin？ It's all in the name。 When he was younger， Hopwood went by his middle name。 As an adult， he choose to use his given name， as it was memorable。 Whilst researching on genealogical sites， he discovers a past - and the home of his ancestors - in the remains of Hopwood Hall。 I quite enjoyed being along for the trip as Hopwood makes connections， makes friends and willingly upends his whole life for Hopwood Hall。 His family is just as enthusiastic。 As are the supporters of the Hall， who are trying to preserve this historic building。 Geoff and Bob are the two core supporters who guide and educate Hopwood on the Hall's past。 Their dedication was and is admirable。 Hopwood meets many others who are happy to lend a hand。 It was fascinating to uncover the historical past of the Hall with Hopwood。 The descriptions of the Hall - and included photographs - made me want to come and visit！ DePree is enthusiastic and able to laugh at himself。 I quite enjoyed his book， but the journey isn't over。 Downton Shabby （clever title） was an entertaining， easy read that kept me engaged。 。。。more
Angela
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Hollywood producer Hopwood DuPree discovered his family had connections to a castle after a late night ancestry。com search。 After discovering the home is a "fixer-upper，" he decides to relocate to England and begin the process of restoring Hopwood Hall as it is known to the locals。 This is an engaging story and I particularly enjoyed the passages he described regarding learning the ways of the locals。 Hollywood producer Hopwood DuPree discovered his family had connections to a castle after a late night ancestry。com search。 After discovering the home is a "fixer-upper，" he decides to relocate to England and begin the process of restoring Hopwood Hall as it is known to the locals。 This is an engaging story and I particularly enjoyed the passages he described regarding learning the ways of the locals。 。。。more
Meagan
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This was such a fun read！ I loved the title's play on "Downton Abbey，" as well as the author's sense of humor throughout the book。 He keeps the reader engaged， makes the topic （whether history， obscure battles， or home renos） accessible and understandable， and makes me want to learn more--about him and about the estate！I've traveled throughout Great Britain over the years， and so enjoyed conjuring up mental images of the location and cast of characters。 The read was particularly relevant as I'm This was such a fun read！ I loved the title's play on "Downton Abbey，" as well as the author's sense of humor throughout the book。 He keeps the reader engaged， makes the topic （whether history， obscure battles， or home renos） accessible and understandable， and makes me want to learn more--about him and about the estate！I've traveled throughout Great Britain over the years， and so enjoyed conjuring up mental images of the location and cast of characters。 The read was particularly relevant as I'm in the market to buy my first house; not that I'm able to procure a castle， lol， but it was sure fun to think about as I read！I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Katelyn
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American Hopwood DePree discovered that the stories his grandfather told him as a kid were correct， there is an ancestral Hopwood Castle （Hall） in England。 Curious and already planning a trip to Europe， Hopwood requested a tour and fell in love with the decades-abandoned building in the English countryside。 This is Hopwood's funny and fascinating story of leaving the rat race of Hollywood behind to devote himself to restoring Hopwood Hall。 He connects with the wonderful local historian Geoff and American Hopwood DePree discovered that the stories his grandfather told him as a kid were correct， there is an ancestral Hopwood Castle （Hall） in England。 Curious and already planning a trip to Europe， Hopwood requested a tour and fell in love with the decades-abandoned building in the English countryside。 This is Hopwood's funny and fascinating story of leaving the rat race of Hollywood behind to devote himself to restoring Hopwood Hall。 He connects with the wonderful local historian Geoff and building manager Bob as well as many dedicated volunteers in the community， to figure out how to save Hopwood Hall， and why it's a worthy pursuit。 Hopwood Hall is still a work in progress， but Depree is in it for the long haul。 Highly recommended to anyone intrigued by HGTV。 。。。more
Monica Jordan
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Thanks to a Goodreads drawing， I received an advance copy of this book。 It is not typically something I read， so that made it that much more fun to read。 I thoroughly enjoyed the history of Hopwood Hall and how the author got involved in the massive restoration project。 As someone， who loves British history， old houses， and home improvement， this book was right up my alley。 It is inspiring and entertaining。 I really enjoyed it！ #HopwoodDupree
Ivy
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If you enjoy history and HGTV， this book is for you！
Robin
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This is an easy and entertaining read by an engaging and candid fellow。 Have your computer or phone handy so you can Google some of the manor houses he mentions and also follow his journey in rehabbing Hopwood Hall。 And also be prepared to check your ancestors to see if by chance you have an estate house in your family history！Thanks to the publisher for the advance digital reading copy。 The digital copy also included a few photos， a rarity in advance editions。
Jen
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If you love all things England， Downton Abbey， Hill House Living and big-hearted adventure。。。this charming and hilarious memoir is for you！ Hopwood DePree's story attracted me immediately。 He discovered over a wine-fueled internet deep-dive late one night that he was the heir to a crumbling English castle！ For real。 Hello！！！ One ticket to this romp， please。 All I ever discover late night online is that I've added one too many things to my Outnet cart and it's time to get real about my clothing b If you love all things England， Downton Abbey， Hill House Living and big-hearted adventure。。。this charming and hilarious memoir is for you！ Hopwood DePree's story attracted me immediately。 He discovered over a wine-fueled internet deep-dive late one night that he was the heir to a crumbling English castle！ For real。 Hello！！！ One ticket to this romp， please。 All I ever discover late night online is that I've added one too many things to my Outnet cart and it's time to get real about my clothing budget。 And I will admit to wishing once or hundred times that I lived in an English country manor ala Downton Abbey or Pemberley。 Paula Sutton's dreamy Instagram， Hill House Living， is my Prozac。 But what's it REALY like to find oneself beholden to a stately 600 year old English Hall？ When one is not really English anymore？ And not aristocracy either？ Hopwood is from Hollywood， and he couldn't have been less prepared for what awaited him in Middleton England。 This is such a delightful book。 Highly recommend for anyone looking for inspiration， a laugh， and a lift。 。。。more
Jeanne Chapman
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Loved this charming memoir！ An interesting story about a man who， while researching ancestors， finds an estate in England with his last name。 This leads to a family trip to see the property which is abandoned and has had only minimal care in the past 50 years or so。 Then begins the real story about repairs and renovations on a 500 year old building， which leads to meeting previously unknown family members and other interested parties， and putting together a group for fundraising to save Hopwood Loved this charming memoir！ An interesting story about a man who， while researching ancestors， finds an estate in England with his last name。 This leads to a family trip to see the property which is abandoned and has had only minimal care in the past 50 years or so。 Then begins the real story about repairs and renovations on a 500 year old building， which leads to meeting previously unknown family members and other interested parties， and putting together a group for fundraising to save Hopwood Hall。 If you have ever renovated a kitchen or such， you will thoroughly enjoy the details described in this book。 。。。more
D Marie
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Excellent memoir full of humor but also unexpectedly heartwarming。 Having followed Hopwood DePree’s adventures through his social media posts and YouTube videos， I thought I knew the story， and was eager for more details on how he came to discover his lineage， track down his ancestral home， and undertake to renovate the formerly magnificent and now-derelict heap。 The book delivers on this premise for sure， with loads of jaw dropping setbacks and cheers-worthy progress， but it also tells the stor Excellent memoir full of humor but also unexpectedly heartwarming。 Having followed Hopwood DePree’s adventures through his social media posts and YouTube videos， I thought I knew the story， and was eager for more details on how he came to discover his lineage， track down his ancestral home， and undertake to renovate the formerly magnificent and now-derelict heap。 The book delivers on this premise for sure， with loads of jaw dropping setbacks and cheers-worthy progress， but it also tells the story of Hopwood’s close relationships with his father and with his maternal grandfather， the two men who shaped him， and the loss and introspection that set him on his current path。 A warm， touching， and unexpectedly deeply personal story — that is also chock full of renovation fiascos on a grand scale and hilarious fish out of water observations from a Midwestern boy turned Hollywood producer who finds himself a new home amongst the delightful British characters he encounters along his way。 。。。more
Star
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Thank you Goodreads for this giveaway。 Amazing book。 Very funny
Sherry Arp
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This book ticked all the boxes for me。 History， memoir， family ancestry， saving old buildings/structures and beautifully written。 I highly suggest this book， if any of those boxes apply to you。If you have ever wondered how the beautiful historical estates of Great Britain are maintained this book is for you。 Hopwood takes you from the very start of his journey， research at his then current LA home， through the current pandemic。 I can not say to the end of the repairs to a long lost family estate This book ticked all the boxes for me。 History， memoir， family ancestry， saving old buildings/structures and beautifully written。 I highly suggest this book， if any of those boxes apply to you。If you have ever wondered how the beautiful historical estates of Great Britain are maintained this book is for you。 Hopwood takes you from the very start of his journey， research at his then current LA home， through the current pandemic。 I can not say to the end of the repairs to a long lost family estate， as it appears this will a project that never ends。 Throughout this book there is a beautiful blend of history that includes the ancestors of Hopwood， the surrounding towns and people， the Hopwood estate and how other estates in the surrounding areas were saved and are being preserved。 。。。more
Tyler
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✅Ex-pat memoir✅England✅Historic Hall （home） renovation ✅Ancient murder✅Ghost story I read the first 21 chapters in one sitting。 I just could not put it down。 I relished following Hopwood through the highs， lows and all of the in-between。 It was touching that the locals were so kind and supportive。 There is an amazing community there， and they accepted him as one of their own。 By the end， I felt like I knew Bob and Geoff personally and wanted to have a brew with them too！I was quite surprised tha ✅Ex-pat memoir✅England✅Historic Hall （home） renovation ✅Ancient murder✅Ghost story I read the first 21 chapters in one sitting。 I just could not put it down。 I relished following Hopwood through the highs， lows and all of the in-between。 It was touching that the locals were so kind and supportive。 There is an amazing community there， and they accepted him as one of their own。 By the end， I felt like I knew Bob and Geoff personally and wanted to have a brew with them too！I was quite surprised that the not only the locals but also the members of Historic Houses were so welcoming。 He was instantly rubbing shoulders with English Aristocrats， and they weren't snooty at all。 They appreciated the work he was doing to preserve history。 As envious as their lives may seem， what they do to keep their ancestral homes standing is quite daunting， a real job。 I didn’t want this book to end。 It’s the ultimate cozy， feel-good read， and it’s actually a true story！ I hope he’s already begun writing a sequel。 I want to hear more about the progress on the Hall as well as any potential updates on children to slide down the bannisters！One suggestion: although you can donate to The Hopwood Foundation， it’s a bit buried with the Hopwood site。 Hopwood， you should add a donate page to the website menu as well as a donate button to the home page before publication， so it is more accessible。 I have donated and I am sure many other readers will want to as well。I received this book as an ARC， and this is my honest review。 Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow！ 。。。more
Cam Kovach
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Hopwood DePree， a Hollywood-based actor and producer， learns about his family's heritage during some searching on Ancestry。com。 His search leads him to Hopwood Hall in northwest England， his family's ancestral home outside of Manchester。 His initial tour of the crumbling 60-room estate takes him through the "newer" part of the Hall， built during the reign of King James II， and through parts of the original structure that were built around 1420。 This amazing estate was in complete disrepair， in n Hopwood DePree， a Hollywood-based actor and producer， learns about his family's heritage during some searching on Ancestry。com。 His search leads him to Hopwood Hall in northwest England， his family's ancestral home outside of Manchester。 His initial tour of the crumbling 60-room estate takes him through the "newer" part of the Hall， built during the reign of King James II， and through parts of the original structure that were built around 1420。 This amazing estate was in complete disrepair， in need of millions of British pounds to set back to some semblance of its earlier grandeur。 DePree， and the reader， are as captivated by the human drama of the Hall's most recent occupants who left after World War I as they are by the introduction to the world of historic property preservation。 He becomes the unlikely owner of Hopwood Hall， and the story of his perseverance to fund and restore the Hall is completely engaging。 。。。more
Randal White
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This was fun。 A Hollywood producer finds out that he is the sole surviving family member of a 600 year old mansion in England。 Sounds like a bad B-movie， but it really happened。 I enjoyed reading the author's adventures in procuring and restoring the decrepit property。 I followed his adventures online， and it really added to the story。 Would make a great television series。 This was fun。 A Hollywood producer finds out that he is the sole surviving family member of a 600 year old mansion in England。 Sounds like a bad B-movie， but it really happened。 I enjoyed reading the author's adventures in procuring and restoring the decrepit property。 I followed his adventures online， and it really added to the story。 Would make a great television series。 。。。more
Jim
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I won an advanced copy of this book on Goodreads。 What a great story to tell！ Who thought that a renovation project on a house （although big） could be so interesting but it is。 It's not just about fixing up the estate and the grounds but so much more; it is about the history， the people who care for it， and the surrounding community。 Hopwood Hall is really rich with history that the author brought out well in this book。 I can feel his passion about everything that has happened there and the peop I won an advanced copy of this book on Goodreads。 What a great story to tell！ Who thought that a renovation project on a house （although big） could be so interesting but it is。 It's not just about fixing up the estate and the grounds but so much more; it is about the history， the people who care for it， and the surrounding community。 Hopwood Hall is really rich with history that the author brought out well in this book。 I can feel his passion about everything that has happened there and the people who walked through its halls。 We must all preserve such places for generations to come。 It really brought together so many people in the area and I really felt that they truly care for the place。 An engaging and entertaining read。 。。。more
Anne Paulson
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Gosh I love a good memoir！ I was thrilled when I found this arc in our white box recently。 （I work at a small indie bookstore- thank you to the publisher。） So many people dream and romanticize about restoring a grand manor。 Depree manages to convey just how incredibly daunting a task that can be while somehow showing the joy in the community and friendships made in the process。 Quick and fun read！
Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell
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Imagine actually telling people that you're DIY-ing the family castle this summer。 Imagine actually telling people that you're DIY-ing the family castle this summer。 。。。more
Michael
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Hopwood DePree's "Downton Shabby" is an ode to finding your purpose again in the form a decaying， 600 year old mansion a continent and an ocean away。 While probably impossible to document the minutia of every detail associated with a seemingly impossible task， DePree takes readers along for a ride where you'll find yourself cheering for him， willing the walls of the crumbling estate to stay in place。 The writing is paced enough to keep you interested and relatable in a way that makes you wonder Hopwood DePree's "Downton Shabby" is an ode to finding your purpose again in the form a decaying， 600 year old mansion a continent and an ocean away。 While probably impossible to document the minutia of every detail associated with a seemingly impossible task， DePree takes readers along for a ride where you'll find yourself cheering for him， willing the walls of the crumbling estate to stay in place。 The writing is paced enough to keep you interested and relatable in a way that makes you wonder if you could take on the task that he did。 Heck， i'm hoping to see the Hopwood Estate the next time I'm in England。 Thanks to William Morrow and Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book。 #NetGalley #WIlliamMorrow #DowntonShabby 。。。more
Homerun2
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This is an appealing story of a Hollywood-type 40-something guy who discovers a genealogical link to an old estate in England and winds up uprooting his whole life to spearhead the restoration effort for the old manor house。The author is humorous， smart and humbled by his new setting。 He is not afraid to poke fun at himself， nor are the Brits who have already been working on the house for ages。 But Hopwood brings enthusiasm， a strong family connection， and some great fund-raising and PR skills t This is an appealing story of a Hollywood-type 40-something guy who discovers a genealogical link to an old estate in England and winds up uprooting his whole life to spearhead the restoration effort for the old manor house。The author is humorous， smart and humbled by his new setting。 He is not afraid to poke fun at himself， nor are the Brits who have already been working on the house for ages。 But Hopwood brings enthusiasm， a strong family connection， and some great fund-raising and PR skills to the effort and makes all the difference。 He undergoes a very basic change， moving from LA and the world of tanning sprays and power lunches to rainy rural England and a totally different culture。There is a lot of humor here， but also some poignant family feelings and a realization of his new life choices。 All in all， a fun and worthwhile read。 Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Carriemcook
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This is a great read。 Honest， funny and full of heart。 I can't wait to see where this goes。 This is a great read。 Honest， funny and full of heart。 I can't wait to see where this goes。 。。。more
Jennybeast
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