Hurst Castle collapse.

burgundyben

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Not looking too good.

Screenshot-20210226-202921-Gallery.jpg
 
outside-erosion-2.jpg
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top image shows western side that has been repaired at a cost of £3000,000, bottom image shows eastern end before collapse , this really shouldn't have happened . I guess english heritage were having consultations about what to do instead of just getting some sort of support in there !!.
 
Apparently they were warned on 25th Jan that it was about to collapse. Their response was there was no immediate danger of that. Think English Heritage have some explaining to do
 
Apparently they were warned on 25th Jan that it was about to collapse.
I was just reading similar
Hurst Castle in need of 'urgent' erosion repairs

I remember being taught in geography in the late 70,s that groynes caused more coastal errosion than it prevented in many cases, yet they still build more..

Im sure they will rebuild... Its a great place. Bloody long walk along the beach to get there though
 
Let it go, I say.

It has had its day. It's an interesting ruin. It will still be interesting when it's even more of a ruin.

More critical is the integrity of the Hurst spit. If that is permanently breached, it will have severe consequences for the land and activities along the Solent. Vast sums were spent on emergency patching up after a previous breach opened up.
 
Just under a year ago there was a thread on here about what was happening at the eastern end of the castle. I'd walked out along the spit in January that year, and it was fenced off and resembled a building site.

Another victim of covid, or someone dragging their heels? Link to last years thread below......

Big pile of stones on Hurst spit.
 
I last stood there in 1979 watching the start of the Fastnet. It is sad but probably inevitable. The castle was a ruin before, and even more of a ruin now, but at least it has acquired greater stability. To my eyes it looks more romantic now, and almost improved. I hope they don’t clean it up too much.
 
Apparently they were warned on 25th Jan that it was about to collapse. Their response was there was no immediate danger of that. Think English Heritage have some explaining to do

From my many years dea;ing with EH there has been a very marked Top Management distancing from maintainence and care Buildings /monuments etc to raising Profile and Cash counting etc; i understand that many years ago the Staffing was directed away from Permanent middle aged staff, who had life experience, to p/t and casual often between Schools and Uni plus working during term breaks, all of which has made EH a far weaker company .
 
From my many years dea;ing with EH there has been a very marked Top Management distancing from maintainence and care Buildings /monuments etc to raising Profile and Cash counting etc; i understand that many years ago the Staffing was directed away from Permanent middle aged staff, who had life experience, to p/t and casual often between Schools and Uni plus working during term breaks, all of which has made EH a far weaker company .
Surely not a deliberate dumbing down of an established body of expertise ? Maybe the National trust should be reading this thread as it sounds rather like their recent approach to their staff as well.
 
I saw an EH person being interviewed on the spit the other night on TV, and he blamed the strong SW'ly winds that they have recently had as causing the damage. What a p*8t as the predominant winds are SW'ly so nothing really unusual.
 
I saw an EH person being interviewed on the spit the other night on TV, and he blamed the strong SW'ly winds that they have recently had as causing the damage. What a p*8t as the predominant winds are SW'ly so nothing really unusual.
Isn’t it the eastern side that’s collapsed?! ?

Very sad though, lots of childhood (sailing) memories for me.
 
People misunderstand the real purpose of organisations like EH.
They don’t exist to protect historical buildings. Their main purpose is to provide a career path for self centred and pushy people to build mini empires at public expense. Supposedly caring for the built heritage is merely the vehicle.
Spot on.
 
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