Lewes Castle collapse: Search of hundreds of tonnes of rubble which collapsed rules out injuries

As the dust settles in the town, this is what we know.

The 11th century fortification fell into a house and crushed fences and furniture in a neighbouring garden on Monday.

Firefighters used sniffer dogs and a drone to search through a huge pile of rubble.

It is believed they were concerned someone had been trapped after a high-vis jacket was found close to the site.

But after hours of painstaking work searching the debris, rescue services confirmed no one had been hurt.

A spokeswoman for Lewes Castle said a tower had been sealed off as a precautionary measure while a specialist team investigates.

The castle site. The red ring shows where the section of curtain wall collapsed. On the left is the main castle, where the south tower has been closed as a precaution. Picture: Google Images

Members of the public were told to avoid the area until it was made safe.

Roads leading to the castle, including Castle Ditch Lane, are still closed.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service incident commander Matt Lloyd said: “This has been a very complex and unusual situation which has required co-operation and assistance from a significant number of our partners.

“We would like to thank all those involved in this incident, and the public for their patience.”

The cause of the collapse is still unknown.

Some locals suggested heavy rain could have loosened the ground beneath the wall, while others blamed recent work to remove ivy.

The castle’s museums officer Emma O’Connor said: “I don’t know why it fell, and this is just conjecture, but it may be due to subsidence underneath, building work, or heavy rain: all sorts of things could have caused the collapse.

“We look after the main castle.

“It takes lots of time and energy and it’s under constant supervision.

“But the part of the castle wall that collapsed is some distance away – probably about 250 metres – and it was outside our ownership.

“It was a detached, standalone section of the castle wall, around ten metres high and two to three metres wide at the base.

“It was part of the Norman curtain wall – a large outer fortification that rings around the castle to defend it.

“It was made from flint and chalk, and it has been around for the best part of a thousand years.

“Pieces either side have eroded over time. Obviously a several hundred metre wall doesn’t stand intact for a thousand years.

“The castle and museum remain open, and they are safe.

“We have closed one of the towers to check it over and we are exercising due caution to ensure the integrity of the building fabric is not affected.

“For everybody’s sake we are asking our specialist team to inspect the tower and make sure it is safe.”

On Monday, residents described their shock as police, fire and ambulance crews poured into the town and began scouring the wreckage.

One passerby said: “It was like a scene from a film, there were so many emergency crews in the town, they were everywhere you looked.

“I saw some people had climbed on to a rooftop nearby to try and see the damage. I’ve only seen pictures, but the damage looks enormous.”

Drone footage published by The Argus yesterday shows the full extent of the damage.

The section of wall is longer than the detached house it toppled into, and huge pieces of fallen stone can be seen either side of the structure.

Green councillor Johnny Denis said he knew a man who had a lucky escape – his office was in one of the buildings that was hit.

Cllr Denis said: “He’s a film maker and went to Brighton for the day. But when he came back the wall had fallen on the Old Coach House where he works.”

Fellow Green Councillor Roy Clay called for checks to ensure the safety of other historic buildings in the town.

He said: “To my mind it opens up questions about other walls in Lewes, especially with the amount of rain we have had.

“It might be a good idea if they were assessed.”

A spokeswoman for Lewes District Council said: “A team of structural engineers will continue their investigations into Monday’s collapse.

“The wall did not form part of Lewes Castle, but is believed to be centuries old.

“Police are erecting barriers and the public are requested to stay away during the investigations.

“Council officers will be updating local residents and nearby shopkeepers during the day.”