The castle's visitor centre explores the lives of past residents
|
The second stage of a conservation project on a 1,000-year-old castle has started in Dorset.
Corfe Castle in Wareham is to be surrounded by 50 miles (80km) of scaffolding while conservators repair damaged stone work.
The National Trust, which owns the castle, has launched a campaign to raise �500,000 for the project.
Work has begun to build a 23-metre scaffolding tower which will scale the East Wall of the Keep.
Urgent repairs
The National Trust said the masonry had been damaged by a combination of warm, wet winters, and freezing temperatures.
The mortar absorbed water in the wet weather which then expanded during frosts, causing the mortar to crumble.
The second and final stage of the two-year project will involve capping the top of the Keep walls with turf to protect them from further weathering; repairing original plasterwork; pinning back loose sections of stonework, and re-bedding and re-pointing various sections of the walls.
Pippa Russell, of The National Trust, said: "We hope that everyone will appreciate how important it is for us to get the repairs completed urgently.
"Due to the specialist nature of the work, it is a time-consuming and costly project.
"The admission fees will help contribute, but we also need people to dig deep and donate to the appeal."
One-Minute World News
News services
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
It is a time-consuming and costly project
