Emergency work set to begin on Horncastle’s Roman wall

Emergency work to stabilise possibly loose stonework on the Roman wall in Horncastle will be undertaken next week.

Heritage England has agreed to fund the cost of small scale remedial work to prevent loose stones falling from the scheduled monument until the major scheme can commence.

Only short sections of the wall, which encloses the centre of the town, are visible to the public.

However, the wall is described by Dr Ben Robinson, TV presenter and a principal adviser to Heritage England, as one of the top 25 most important scheduled monuments in the country, others on the list include Stonehenge.

Dr Ian Marshman, Chairman of the Horncastle History and Heritage Society, said: “Heritage England has agreed to fund 90% of cost, but that still leaves the community to find the rest”

The fund, administered by the Manor House Community Centre and the HHH, has made a good start towards finding the £10,000 needed with ideas such as ‘Sponsor a stone’ and other fund raising activities.

Evidence of such local support is vital to attract outside funders.

Some grant money has been received from the Manor House Road School Trust and the Masonic Benevolent Fund.

Details of how tocontribute are on the Society’s website www.horncastlecivic.org.uk or it is possibleto pick up sponsorship forms at the library.