Sandsfoot Castle: No agreement on future of Henry VIII fortress

Scheduled monument Sandsfoot Castle sits atop the cliff above Weymouth and Portland Harbour and is "at risk"

A stand-off has emerged which has left the authority responsible for a Tudor castle in a "difficult" position.

Sandsfoot Castle sits on a cliff between Weymouth and Portland, in Dorset, and was fenced off after cracks appeared in January 2021.

Historic England wants the fortress preserved but some groups associated with the Jurassic Coast are against major works, a councillor said.

The council has sought opinion from the public on its future.

Built in 1539, during Henry VIII's reign, the scheduled monument is on Historic England's "at risk" register.

Conflicting opinions

Councillor Ferrari said options for the castle ranged from doing nothing to high-cost cliff stabilisation work.

However, Mr Ferrari said while it was still an early stage in the process there were "conflicting opinions" between "lots of the statutory bodies associated with the Jurassic Coast".

"Historic England wants us to retain it but the Jurassic Coast people don't want us to carry out the necessary stabilisation work", he said.

Mr Ferrari said the council had asked the various bodies involved to "consider their views" but was still waiting to hear back.

"By the end of the year we should have a good idea, the technical and regulatory options. By then we can have a more valuable conversation with the public.

"I've genuinely never been in this type of situation before, where you have opposing regulatory bodies. It's a difficult position."

Dorset's Jurassic Coast was classified as a UNESCO's World Heritage Site in 2001

In a statement Historic England said it was currently "working closely" with stakeholders to secure the future of the scheduled monument.

"We are keen to protect this important site which was built during the reign of Henry VIII to defend the Dorset coastline," it said.

The BBC approached UNESCO for comment - the Jurassic Coast was classified as a World Heritage Site in 2001.

'Not a unique issue'

English Heritage, which manages over 400 historic sites across England, recently highlighted six castles threatened by coastal erosion and rising sea levels.

They include Tintagel in Cornwall and Hurst Castle in Hampshire.

Mr Ferrari acknowledged the situation, "Sandsfoot is not a unique issue at all", he said.