The months following the collapse saw a large-scale project mobilised and were an extremely busy period for English Heritage and Hurst Marine, the family-run business that manages the castle on behalf of the charity. Two years later, however, everyone involved can breathe easier as all the evidence shows that the breach in the east wing has been stabilised.

Feet crunching on the new shingle as he stands in front of the broken section of east wing wall, senior properties curator Roy Porter recalls the sense of urgency in the immediate aftermath of the collapse: ‘The most important thing to do straight away was to stop the damage moving further along,’ he says. ‘Because at either end of the breach, undermining of the foundations continued.’

Supplementary foundations were required to replace the absurdly shallow ones – just four courses of brick and less than a metre of concrete – constructed in the 1860s when armoured wing batteries were built. The solution? Injecting a quick-setting maritime resin into the shingle beneath the exposed section.

‘It goes into all the gaps between the stones and forms a sort of conglomerate, almost like concrete, that provides sufficient stability to keep the walls up on either side,’ says Porter. Careful monitoring followed. ‘There’s been no movement since that work occurred. At both ends of the breach things have been stabilised,’ adds Porter, with relief.

The temporary revetment was then made permanent, giving it a predicted lifespan of at least 50 years. Fittingly, the granite rock armour used around the outer edge came from Norway via Cornwall, which is the source of the granite used in the 19th-century castle walls.

The east wing is now well defended – between the resin, the rock armour and the new shingle, it is now protected by an additional 22,000 tonnes of material. But overall Hurst Castle remains at risk and will only become more vulnerable as the climate crisis leads to higher sea levels and more severe storms in the years ahead. Aided by money raised in 2022’s coastal conservation appeal, which raised over £700,000, English Heritage will continue to support the castle over the coming months and years.

Touring Hurst Castle with Porter and the appeal supporters who are making this crucial work possible, it’s impossible not to be struck by the scale of the task. But it’s a challenge that the charity, with the help of its generous funders, is rising to in an extraordinary way. And the team is in no doubt that such an effort is absolutely worth it. As Rob Woodside, estates director puts it, ‘People have a strong affinity and love for the coastline and coastal heritage, so we hope they continue to support us.’

Porter agrees. ‘This site is one of the most important in our care because of the long history it represents, but also because it’s such an important figure in the landscape,’ he says. He pauses, gesturing out over the spit, to the sea and the Isle of Wight beyond it. ‘It’s history, landscape importance, local identity, cultural identity, all those things wrapped up in a place like this. And we’re doing our best for it.’