Storm blamed for partial collapse of Hurst Castle

A 38-metre long section of the outer wall fell into the sea, exposing the building's interior and leaving the foreshore covered in huge chunks of masonry.

The collapse destroyed part of the castle's east wing.

Major repairs have been carried out to the west wing and English Heritage was within days of embarking on a similar project to safeguard the other part of the fortification.

The seafront castle has been battered by a series of ferocious storms in recent years.

English Heritage, which owns the site, said there were no sign of major structural damage before the latest storm on February 23.

"However, the storm damage exacerbated the underlying issues, prompting the rapid collapse of the relevant section of the wall, days before our protective works were due to commence," it said.

• Hurst Castle in danger of being 'submerged into the sea'

In an earlier statement English Heritage said the 19th century wall collapsed after the sea weakened its foundations.

Estates director Rob Woodside said there were no reports of any injuries in the incident, which occurred on Friday.

He added: "Our engineering team is on site, assessing the damage and putting in place a programme of remedial works.”

English Heritage said Hurst Castle's location meant it was exposed to the "full onslaught" of the sea.

It added: "The castle faces the full force of the wind and waves. With rising sea levels and more frequent storms, Hurst Castle is amongst the most challenging and most difficult heritage to protect."

In 2019 English Heritage carried out major work to stabilise the foundations of the west wing and to reinforce its sea defences.

The organisation said work to protect the east wing of the castle had been about to commence."

The original castle was built by Henry VIII between 1541 and 1544 to guard the Needles Passage and the approach to the port of Southampton.

In the 1860s two huge wings were added as part of a massive defence scheme which made that part of the south coast one of the most heavily fortified in the world.

The castle was occupied by troops during the two world wars.