THE trust behind a gothic ruin have responded after Gwrych Castle was listed as one of Wales' "most at-risk" historical buildings.
Gwrych Castle, a Grade I listed building near Abergele, hosted ITV's I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! in 2020 and 2021.
Last year, the castle was awarded a huge £2.2m cash injection from the National Heritage Memorial Fund to save the build from "imminent collapse". The trust is working to reinstate the roof on the main building; the castle has been a "roofless ruin" for 30 years. Floors are also being installed.
CADW, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, has previously refused to publish an at-risk register, but has now been forced to under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request according to the BBC.
Gwrych Castle featured among 2,708 listed structures - including cottages, tombstones and telephone boxes on Cadw's list of at-risk historical buildings.
The castle is one of 715 in the 'most at-risk' section - which is one of three categories on the list.
Powys (101), Gwynedd (71) and Eryri (Snowdonia) were among the locations in Wales with the most at-risk properties.
A Cadw spokesperson said: “Cadw carries out regular condition surveys of listed buildings across Wales. This information is used by local authorities and Cadw to work out which areas to prioritise.
“We intend to publish a report on buildings at risk, which represent a very small percentage of all listed buildings, later this year.”
A spokesperson, on behalf of the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, said: "Gwrych Castle has been listed among one of the most at-risk historical buildings in Wales. We’ve achieved a lot so far, but we still have a long way to go and this is a poignant reminder of that.
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"Every visit you make, event you attend or purchase made in our gift shop is helping to bring the castle back to its former glory.
"The recent grant by National Heritage Memorial Fund will provide a huge boost by providing floors and a roof to the main building.
"There are a lot of ways to help to secure the castle’s future. We have volunteering opportunities to cater to all ages and abilities, you can purchase an annual pass, or you can select gift aid when booking tickets."
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