– Welcome to my castle, says Mike Allen and strikes out with his arms to show us his life’s work. And he means castles literally. It has given him life back.
It takes 20 steep minutes to walk up from the village down the valley west of Newport in Wales and to the structure that has saved his life. The war veteran uses the trip to pick up materials he finds along the way. For the castle is not yet finished. It’s not Mike’s health either.
Mike Allen finds a log on his way up the mountainside. It will be useful when he now has to build the castle’s third floor.
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Håvard Blekastad Almås, NRK
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There have been many heavy lifts during the three years it has taken Mike Allen to build the castle. But physical activity and the outdoors have done him good.
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Håvard Blekastad Almås, NRK
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The Welshman became ill after serving in the British Army in Afghanistan.
– I became so self-destructive that I took an overdose. From there it just went downhill, Mike says.
He had developed post-traumatic stress disorder, went through a breakup and became homeless.
He built a small shelter in the woods where he lived completely isolated for two years. During that time, he found that living in the open air made sense to him.
The cabin Mike Allen built and lived in when he was homeless gave him more than a place to live. He regained meaning in life.
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– Being in nature made me start to challenge myself physically again. I set achievable goals with the construction and something to work for in the long term. Such simple goals gave me something to look forward to, says the former personal trainer.
The construction did good for both physical and mental health.
But one day he returned to the shelter, it was torn. He did not have permission to live there. Again he was without a home.
Then the landowner of a nearby mountainside allowed him to build on his plot.
Once again, he collected materials such as stone and timber nearby. Once again he carried everything up the mountainside with his own hands. Once again, he built his own home. Three years later, it’s not just a cabin. It has become a whole castle.
Down the mountainside is a stone clock in which Mike picks stones. It’s about finding the right stones for the castle wall.
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Håvard Blekastad Almås, NRK
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The backpack is heavy, but Mike is strong. He has built physical strength as well as mental on the work of the castle.
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Håvard Blekastad Almås, NRK
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Building a stone wall is an art. It is important to find the right pieces for the puzzle such a structure is.
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Håvard Blekastad Almås, NRK
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High above the Welsh valleys, Mike is building the third floor of the castle. He has started a voluntary organization that helps other veterans and people who are struggling mentally.
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Håvard Blekastad Almås, NRK
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The castle is freely accessible to anyone who wants to take a walk and take advantage of the activities Mike offers here. And people are pouring in, according to Mike Allen.
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Mike Allen has also started the voluntary organization EndEx. Through it, he helps other veterans who are struggling mentally. He raises money for psychological help, and the former personal trainer offers training and activities at the castle.
– It is nice to be able to help others without waiting to get something back, he says.
Mike Allen’s journey has been long and steep, and is not over yet. But the castle building has made him far better than when he overdosed and wanted to die.
Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / NRKPhoto: Håvard Blekastad Almås / NRK
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He has built exercise machines that anyone can use. He offers yoga and meditation. Mike is critical of the help offered to veterans of the public sector.
– Britain could definitely do much more for veterans. Many areas need improvement.
He does not like to talk about his own health situation. The problems have not disappeared. Mike Allen is still being treated. But the castle gives life meaning. When it is bitter, he carries a new sack of stones. And then he’s ready for another day.
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