Hurst Castle to reopen to the public in April after wall collapse one year ago

Video report by ITV News Meridian's Richard Slee

An historic seafront castle in Hampshire will reopen to the public in April, after a section of it collapsed a year ago today (25 February).

Hurst Castle has been the subject of building work to strengthen its walls after part of it fell into the sea.

English Heritage says it has now stabilised the building, spending three million pounds to bring in 22,000 tonnes of shingle and rock.

One of the men in charge is Steve Martin, who one year ago, was inspecting the inside of the castle walls, when they gave way right in front of him.

He said: "There was a loud bang and the whole of this side fell into the sea and we were stood looking to the Isle of Wight thinking 'what a mess', and we turned and ran to get away from it."

The collapse was a result of decades of harsh climate and coastal erosion.

New sea defences are near completion, but no decision has been made about the future of re-building of the damaged section of the Victorian East Wing.

Rob Woodside from English Heritage said: "Bearing in mind that this is quite a substantial monument, a quite considerable construction, we've got to look into the stability of the whole site and the potential cost of re-building it and what our alternatives are as well.

The sea defences are expected to last fifty years, and English Heritage will see the result of its investigations into the stability of the whole castle and all of the shingle spit in about six months' time.