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Weymouth's Sandsfoot Castle shut after cracks appear

Weymouth & Portland Police Sandsfoot CastleWeymouth & Portland Police
The castle is out of bounds because of safety concerns

A castle ruin on the Dorset coast has been closed to the public amid safety concerns.

Weymouth Town Council said it had taken the decision after two vertical cracks were found to have widened on a wall inside Sandsfoot Castle.

The Scheduled Ancient Monument, at Portland Harbour, as been fenced off while its structure is assessed by the authority and Historic England.

It is not yet known when it will reopen to the public.

Noisar Sandsfoot CastleNoisar
Large chunks of the castle have fallen into the sea

The council said an inspection had also found a stone in an arch that was "not secured properly and is in a dangerous condition".

The castle was built in the 1530s by King Henry VIII and was listed by English Heritage.

It sits in Sandsfoot Gardens, alongside the Rodwell Trail - a disused railway line which has been turned into a cycle and footpath.

Colin Smith Sandsfoot CastleColin Smith
The castle sits perched on a cliff edge at Portland Harbour

Land slips and erosion have meant considerable chunks of it have fallen into Portland Harbour.

In 2012, it re-opened to the public after a Heritage Lottery Fund of almost £200,000 was given to Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to make it safe for public access.

It had been closed since 1930 after it was declared unsafe.

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