WORK to repair an historic castle in Oxfordshire has now begun.
Chichester Stoneworks started lime repointing and rendering the stonework of Wallingford Castle last week.
The castle, which is on the Heritage at Risk Register, reopened in April after being closed from October last year due to public safety issues from potential falling masonry.
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The first stage of repairs costing £5,000 included securing the ruins with scaffolding and fencing while the restoration work takes place.
It also involved the clearing of vegetation, mainly ivy, so scans of the stonework could be carried out.
Ecological surveys were also conducted to avoid harm to nest sites or bat habitats. The project manager, conservation architect Giles Pritchard, has now submitted a design for the second and final stage of the work.
The second stage of repairs could cost about £283,200 which is being paid for with a grant from Historic England after it was deemed the site was “vulnerable to decay and damage from weather conditions, ivy regrowth and vandalism”.
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Councillor Katharine Keats-Rohan, who secured the funding, said: “Much of the work will require lime pointing and rendering of the stone, a specialised job that can only be done in warm weather.
“We shall be placing information boards on the fencing and there will be opportunities to go into the site for talks and demonstration by the constructors during the works.”
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Read more from this author
This story was written by Gee Harland. She joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.
Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.
Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland
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