A NEW report, revealing the true cost of coastal erosion to the UK, has pointed at a historic and well-loved site in Cumbria.

Among a list of places under growing threat, the report named Piel Castle, on the coast of Barrow-in-Furness.

As well as Piel Castle, the list also included Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, Bayard’s Cove Fort in Devon, Garrison Walls on The Isles of Scilly, as well as both Hurst Castle and Calshot Castle in Hampshire.

The early-14th century castle crowning Piel Island sits off the coast of the Furness Peninsula and boasts a rich history as a defensive post against Scottish raids and as a trading base.

After serving the Yorkist pretender to the English throne, Lambert Simnel, the castle fell into ruin and was passed into the hands of the Crown by 1534.

Sea erosion began to cause significant damage to the castle in the early 19th century, prompting its owner, the Duke of Buccleuch, to carry out extensive restoration work In the 1870s.

Outworks were erected to protect Piel against further damage from the sea before it was transferred into the care of English Heritage in 1973.

By 2022, much of the low-lying island had been lost to the sea, in response, English Heritage launched a fundraising campaign to protect and strengthen the site in hopes of preserving the castle.

Today, Piel Castle often enjoys visitors who cross the sea via ferry boat to explore the stone keep and towered curtain walls.

Aggregate Industries said the combined total of cost in repairs and sea defence required to save the castles would amount to more than £275,000.

Lee Sleight, Managing Director of Aggregates Division at Aggregates Industries, said: “In the face of the relentless and escalating threat of coastal erosion, we stand at a critical juncture where the silent force of the seas is reshaping the very fabric of our nation.

“The disheartening reality is that land, present merely 50 years ago, has vanished, and the forecasted rise in sea levels by a metre over the next century paints a dire picture, with many of the UK’s most iconic landmarks at risk of not being around for future generations.”