Dog walkers who use Carisbrooke Castle to park their cars could soon face paying for the privilege, as plans are submitted to the Isle of Wight Council for pay and display machines.
The currently free-to-use car park surrounding the historic 11th century castle is often used by walkers and dog walkers who want to explore the countryside. However, the property owners English Heritage want to impose a pay and display scheme to help fund the preservation of Carisbrooke Castle.
Neil McCollum, English Heritage’s Historic Properties Director for the South East has this week said:
“As a charity, we are committed to protecting and promoting the historic landmarks in our care and every penny we receive – from car parks to major donations – goes back to caring for our properties. We have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in conservation work at Carisbrooke in the last year and are committed to continuing that investment going forward.
“We do realise that many dog walkers use the car park and may be disappointed that they will no longer be able to park for free, but by buying a parking ticket they will be contributing to the care and protection of Carisbrooke Castle for many generations to come.”
