Castle walls 'unstable' after bad weather

Parts of a medieval castle's walls have become "damaged" and "unstable" following recent bad weather, a council has warned.

Wallingford Town Council has advised visitors to Wallingford Castle in Oxfordshire not to approach or climb the walls, to keep clear of fenced-off areas and to "exercise caution when near the site".

It said it was "working to assess and repair the damage as soon as possible".

The county recently faced Storm Eowyn and has seen high levels of rainfall in recent days.

The castle has undergone major repairs following a grant of almost £300,000 from Historic England.

In July it was targeted by vandals, with stones removed and thrown off.

The standing ruins of the College of St Nicholas are the largest surviving walls of the castle, which was built sometime between 1067 and 1071.

The college housed priests who served the chapels in the castle, which was one of three built in the wake of the Norman invasion to establish control over the Thames Valley - the others were at Windsor and Oxford.

The castle was a scene of sieges in the 12th Century as Empress Matilda and her cousin King Stephen fought for the throne.

It was later dismantled stone by stone on the orders of Oliver Cromwell.

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