NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Property

Robyn Welsh: Treasure-trove in the bush

By Robyn Welsh
Herald on Sunday·
14 Apr, 2018 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

20 Tawini Rd, Titirangi. Photo / Ted Baghurst

20 Tawini Rd, Titirangi. Photo / Ted Baghurst

Throughout the 1960s, the legendary ceramicist Len Castle crafted his best works from his family home deep in the Titirangi bush.

He quarried clay from down the bank by his outdoor brick kiln. He handcrafted his pieces in his basement studio next to his indoor kiln and picked kauri grass here for his rich blue-on-brown glazes. And when he was done with all that, he exhibited the best and dumped the rest down behind the house.

Several changes of ownership followed after Len and Ruth Castle and their daughter Briar moved to South Titirangi in 1972, and documented stories surfaced of old kiln bricks reappearing as new paths and discarded pottery coming to light from beneath decades of leaf drop.

But Treasa Dunworth and Marty Wilkinson knew none of this 19 years ago when they came here looking for a home in the bush. Their first inkling of the artistic and architectural provenance came when Marty smelled linseed oil in the basement, the day he visited with his real estate agent.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I went 'Oh, wow! That's linseed oil'. I said 'Was this a potter's house?' She said 'Yes. This was Len Castle's house.' And we didn't know Len Castle from a bar of soap."

Thanks to their alterations to the house, Treasa and Marty got first hand insight into the inventiveness and habits of Len Castle, whose works are still highly collectible six years after his death.

20 Tawini Rd, Titirangi. Photo / Ted Baghurst
20 Tawini Rd, Titirangi. Photo / Ted Baghurst

The house itself was designed in 1959 by James Hackshaw shortly after he'd left the famous Group Architects collective to further develop what he called the "New Zealandness" concept of house design.

Much has been written about "The Castle House" with its Kiwi roofline and remaining Japanese-style features, including the cedar sliding doors and exposed timber structures that were among Len Castle's influences.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Original architectural drawings show its separate lounge and combined kitchen/dining area on the entry level with a stepped-down bedroom/bathroom wing to one side.

For Treasa, a legal academic, and Marty, a special needs teacher, their historical appreciation has gone beyond the under-sill bookshelves and the brick fireplace with vents which once brought ducted heat up from Len's basement kiln.

Outside, they were delighted to discover broken and intact pottery pieces in the ground and to retrieve the last of the kiln bricks for Marty's paths.

20 Tawini Rd, Titirangi. Photo / Ted Baghurst
20 Tawini Rd, Titirangi. Photo / Ted Baghurst

But they had no idea there was more to come until 2006/2007 when they added the rear double-storey family room/master bedroom extension, designed by architect Stephen Voyle.

"When we started to clear the area it was clear that the whole hillside was a disposal pit for Len Castle's work," says Marty. "The downstairs area from his studio was still open and he'd just wheelbarrowed it out and chucked it down the slope. There was just this huge pile of dross."

Amid the rubble, they found more gems to add to their collection of some "six or eight" intact pieces including moulds and a vase with internal glazing from Len's Japanese era.

They are the perfect period accessories for this blended home with its new ceiling trusses and band-sawed weatherboards that match the originals, and demolition heart rimu bearers and joists which Marty had re-milled as floorboards and stair treads.

Four years ago Treasa and Marty opened up the centre of the house with a kitchen built on the same spot as the original galley kitchen. Now it is another family's time to enjoy this slice of architectural history.

On the web link

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Property

Property

New World magnates’ $2m dream home for sale in tiny Southland town

04 Jul 07:52 AM
Property

‘100% now is the time’: Prices drop by as much as $300,000 in heritage suburbs

04 Jul 07:40 AM
Property

7 biggest house price crashes in history - and what we can learn from them

04 Jul 07:35 AM

Audi offers a sporty spin on city driving with the A3 Sportback and S3 Sportback

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Property

New World magnates’ $2m dream home for sale in tiny Southland town

New World magnates’ $2m dream home for sale in tiny Southland town

04 Jul 07:52 AM

Winton an affordable option for buyers at both ends of the market.

‘100% now is the time’: Prices drop by as much as $300,000 in heritage suburbs

‘100% now is the time’: Prices drop by as much as $300,000 in heritage suburbs

04 Jul 07:40 AM
7 biggest house price crashes in history - and what we can learn from them

7 biggest house price crashes in history - and what we can learn from them

04 Jul 07:35 AM
Premium
Rich-lister helps fund $2m+ Akl school pool upgrade

Rich-lister helps fund $2m+ Akl school pool upgrade

04 Jul 03:00 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP