Castle wall to be dismantled for 'urgent' repairs

The Grade I country house dates back to the 19th century

Plans to dismantle a curtain wall to allow for restoration work at a castle have been approved by councillors.

The "urgent conservation-led repairs" are needed at Devizes Castle in Wiltshire, owned by Kazuhiko Akao.

It comes after Mr Akao reported leaking roofs, collapsing boundary walls and wobbling parapets at the property.

According to the planning application, the dismantled stonework will be set aside in a secure, weather-proof environment, and all work will be carried out in a "careful and sensitive manner" by a specialist tradesman.

Dismantling the wall will allow for construction vehicles to access the castle grounds from Castle Road, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The 19th-century Grade I country house was built on the location of a fortification constructed around 1080 by Bishop Osmund of Salisbury, the nephew of William the Conqueror.