Wallingford Castle ruins to undergo repairs

Historic England awarded the funding to Wallingford Castle which is on the Heritage at Risk Register

Repairs will be carried out on a medieval castle in Oxfordshire after it received a £283,200 grant.

Historic England awarded the funding to Wallingford Castle which is on the Heritage at Risk Register.

The castle, which lies largely in ruins, was built during the reign of William the Conqueror but destroyed after a siege in the English Civil War.

Work on the standing remains of the College of St Nicholas at the site will be completed by the end of 2022.

Work on the remains of the College of St Nicholas will be completed by the end of 2022

The castle is protected as a scheduled monument and is Grade I listed.

But the site is vulnerable to slow decay and damage from weather conditions, ivy regrowth and vandalism, Historic England said.

A survey will be carried out to assess the stonework of the ruins ahead of conservation works.

The castle (seen here in reconstruction) was built during the reign of William the Conqueror but destroyed in the English Civil War

Helena Hamerow, professor of early medieval archaeology and Historic England commissioner, said it was "fantastic" to see the repairs getting under way after years of hard work.

Katharine Keats-Rohan, of Wallingford Town Council, which maintains the castle gardens and ruins, said: "The castle remains bear priceless witness to the important role Wallingford has played in English history and should be a source of pride to us all.

"I am enormously grateful to Historic England for helping us to save them for the future."

Last month a community-led campaign was started after an increase in vandalism and litter in the town during lockdown.

Councillor Steve Holder said stones had been removed and thrown off the ruin and that there was a "need to educate and make the future generation of Wallingford aware about its rich history''.