Nitt Witt Ridge: A Poor Man’s Castle
Here’s a fine example of human ingenuity. If you give someone enough time and resources they’ll come up with something impressive. Nitt Witt Ridge is the name given to a ramshackle piece of house art in Cambria, California. It was the home of one restless creative called Arthur “Art” Harold Beal (he died in 1992, aged 96).
Art, also known as Der Tinkerpaw or Captain Nitt Witt, wanted a castle, but didn’t have any money, so he built it from whatever he found lying around. He used obvious items such as wood from the trees surrounding his home and shells, but also included other people’s discarded rubbish: beer cans, car rims and old stoves all made it into the final piece.
Art landscaped the area on the hillside using nothing but a pick, a shovel and an unrelenting creative passion. To many Art was a Grade-A nut-job, but if you ask me, they’re the best type of nut-job to have around.
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