A medieval moated castle has undergone work to have weeds delicately pulled from its sandstone walls to prevent structural deterioration.
A two-man team from WallWalkers Rope Access Ltd. have been scaling the 60ft-high battlements at 14th Century, National Trust-managed Bodiam Castle near Robertsbridge, East Sussex.
With rope harnesses, hard hats and a head of for heights, the contractors have been removing weeds to avoid major damage to the castle’s structure.
National Trust officials said the weeds have to be removed while they are green and growing to avoid damaging root systems taking hold.
Bodiam Castle’s premises manager William Past said: “If the weeds are not removed from the masonry their roots eventually grow to a size that could push the stonework out of place or cause collapse.
“It’s fascinating to watch the weeding take place, not only does it improve the masonry, but when the weeds are there you lose some of the castle’s definition from a distance. The brambles on the towers in particular can grow quite long and cover up parts of the building. The castle will emerge with a much crisper profile, sitting proudly in the landscape as it was designed to do.”
The castle remains open while the week-long weeding by Bristol-based rope specialists WallWalkers takes place. Mr Past added:
“The National Trust has some great examples of really unusual conservation work, but we think the WallWalkers weeding Bodiam Castle is one of the more unusual and unexpected. As a charity, we’re very grateful to our visitors, as their entry fees and memberships help fund such conservation work which is essential for the castle and grounds.”
– WallWalkers are grateful for the praise the people of Bodiam Castle have given, and also for BT publishing the above article.
