Calls for flint walls in Lewes to be checked after castle wall collapse

The wall, which was 1,000 years old, collapsed into a resident’s garden and against the Old Coach House on November 11.

Lewes Castle wall collapse: ‘It is sad – a piece of history has gone’

The 11th-century castle was closed to the public for safety reasons and the incident sparked a large emergency response. Fortunately, no-one was hurt.

In the wake of the collapse, deputy mayor councillor Stephen Catlin has called for the walls bounding the twittens to be checked.

“There are cracks – I just think it needs checking because we don’t want these problems to be repeated,” he told the Express.

He said what happened near Lewes Castle was an ‘alarm call for all heritage buildings to be re-examined’.

A section the wall near Lewes Castle which was at risk following the collapse earlier this month has been removed for safety reasons.

Contractors working for East Sussex County Council used heavy machinery to pull down the wall onto nearby land, away from properties in Castle Ditch Lane. Watch a video here.

The small section of wall had been left standing after the wall fell on November 11, but was in a precarious position and at risk of collapse.

To access the site, contractors had to remove part of a contemporary wall on the nearby bowling green and move their machinery in over the edge of the green and two neighbouring gardens.

The county council will now work with partners including Lewes District Council and Historic England to carefully examine the rubble before removal, which it is hoped will provide clues as to why it fell.

The district council confirmed it was unable to comment on Mr Catlin’s concerns due to the impending election.