Castle Gardens : Update on the restoration work

The restoration and conservation of the Castle Wall (remains of the College of St Nicholas) is well underway, with Chichester Stoneworks now on site lime repointing and rendering the stone work of the remains.

The first stage of the project involved the clearing of much of the covering vegetation, which was mainly ivy, so that laser scans of the stonework could be carried out.

Ecological surveys were also conducted, to avoid harm to nest sites or bat habitats. Because of the poor condition of the stonework and the danger of falling stone, the area has been fenced off. The project manager, conservation architect Giles Pritchard, has now submitted a design for the second and final stage of the work. Once approved by Historic England, the restoration and conservation work will begin, towards the end of July.Much of the work will require lime pointing and rendering of the stone, a specialised job that can only be done in warm weather.

There will be opportunities to go into the site with the constructors on 10th November at 10.30am, and at 11.30am on the 17th November.* If you are interested, please contact cllr.katharine.keats.rohan@wallingfordtowncouncil.gov.uk. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

* Please note that the site visits are currently fully booked. Please contact Cllr Keats-Rohan to register interest in case of any cancellations.