New scheme to protect vandalised castle ruins

Wallingford Castle was damaged by vandals a year after being saved from ruin by an Historic England grant

A new project has been launched to protect an ancient castle wall damaged by vandals.

People were caught on camera damaging the remaining walls of Wallingford Castle last year, according to Wallingford Town Council, after it was saved from ruin in 2023.

The castle has also suffered from weather damage and ivy regrowth, placing it on Historic England's Heritage at Risk register.

Historic England will work alongside the Oxfordshire town council to create a Heritage Watch scheme, involving police and community groups to monitor what it calls "heritage crime" at the site.

People were caught on CCTV damaging the ruins last year

Historian and Wallingford councillor Katherine Keats-Rohan said the intention was to teach young people about the castle's value before anti-social behaviour took place.

She said: "We want people to learn about the past and learn to value it, [rather] than kicking the hell out of it or painting graffiti on it.

"We don't just want to be wagging fingers at people - we want it to be positive and make it more engaging."

Wallingford Castle was once a grand royal fortress dating back to the Norman period.

It was built sometime between 1067 and 1071 in the wake of the Norman invasion to establish control over the Thames Valley.

The castle was later demolished on the orders of Oliver Cromwell at the end of the English Civil War.

Historic England awarded a grant of about £283,000 for restoration work in 2023 to remove plant growth and stabilise the castle walls.

It said the scheme would raise awareness of the vulnerability of heritage assets and encourage communities to protect them.

Mark Harrison, the body's head of heritage crime, said: "Keeping watch over our heritage isn't just about protecting old buildings or artefacts, it's about holding on to the stories, values and identities that make us who we are.

"By looking after these places and objects, we're making sure future generations can understand where they come from and why it matters."