Southsea Castle undergoes 'important' restoration works

Works to clean the external walls of the 16th century Southsea Castle started at the beginning of September, with additional repairs to the drawbridge and railings on the gun platform and staircase starting this week

The process is expected to take 15 weeks with contractors on site until Christmas.

Councillor Steve Pitt, Portsmouth City Council's cabinet member for culture, said: ‘These works will make a big improvement to the condition and the look of the castle, and it's important we carry them out safely on such an important historic building in the city.

‘The works are taking place during the quieter months in preparation for re-opening the castle next spring.’

Southsea Castle has not re-opened fully since the coronavirus pandemic but the courtyard cafe is operating. There are also some events including weddings and a series of weekend Champagne bars.

It is anticipated that the castle will re-open fully as a free visitor attraction in spring 2021.

Find out more at southseacastle.co.uk

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.