Enjoy Milford on Sea: Hurst Castle named in World Monuments Watch

The World Monuments Fund (WMF) has announced that Hurst Castle has been named to the 2022 World Monuments Watch, a selection of 25 heritage sites of worldwide significance whose preservation is urgent and vital to the communities surrounding them.

These sites powerfully demonstrate pressing global challenges of climate change, imbalanced tourism, underrepresentation, and recovery from crisis, underscoring the need for greater action to support heritage places and the people who care for them.

Situated on a remote and exposed shingle spit which commands the Needles Passage between the Isle of Wight and the mainland, Hurst Castle is subjected to immense forces of wind and tide. In February 2021, a section of wall on the 19th-century east wing of the castle collapsed, after the sea exposed and undercut its foundations. English Heritage is hard at work on a major project to protect and bring stability to this most challenging of heritage sites, at the forefront of sea level rise and climate change.

Launched in 1996 with founding sponsor American Express, the Watch is announced every two years and includes heritage places nominated by individuals and community-based organizations across the globe. The program has been a proven tool for raising awareness of sites in need of protection and galvanizing action and support for their preservation. To date, WMF has contributed more than $110 million toward projects at more than 300 Watch sites, with the visibility provided by the Watch helping communities leverage an additional $300 million from other sources.

Rob Woodside, English Heritage’s Conservation & Estates Director, said: “We’re grateful that Hurst Castle has been recognised on the World Monuments Watch as it is a great opportunity to highlight the challenge of managing heritage in the light of sea level rise and climate change. With changes in longshore drift and more frequent storms, Hurst Castle is amongst the most difficult heritage sites to protect in England, but the threat of rapid coastal erosion is also faced by heritage organisations around the world. We’re hoping, through our work, to share lessons learnt with those facing similar challenges.”

“Saving irreplaceable cultural heritage has never been more important,” said Bénédicte de Montlaur, President and CEO of WMF. “The daunting global challenges facing heritage in the twenty-first century require innovative, sustainable, and replicable solutions. By supporting communities in preserving the places they treasure most, we can strengthen social bonds and foster a greater understanding that our futures as global citizens are inextricably linked.”

Representing 24 countries and nearly 12,000 years of history, the 2022 Watch encompasses a broad range of examples of how global challenges manifest and intersect at heritage sites, providing opportunities to improve the lives of communities as they adapt for the future.