It was officially opened by Brian Wilkins, who had been using the beach since 1938.
(meta data) TITLE: Official opening of Castle Cove Beach steps on Easter Saturday | Dorset Echo (meta data) PUBLISHED DATETIME: 2019-04-17 12:00:00 ## Join this chap for the grand opening of a much-loved beach (he's a bit older now) # Official opening of Castle Cove Beach steps on Easter Saturday Martin Lea Skip to next photo It's Easter egg-citement as a beach in Weymouth which has been closed off to the public officially reopens. The Friends of Castle Cove Beach Charity say the grand opening of the steps down to Castle Cove Beach will be this Saturday. And cutting the ribbon will be Brian Wilkins, 82, who has been using the beach since 1938 and been an enthusiastic supporter of the campaign to get it back open. The area has special memories for him – he remembers climbing through barbed wire on the sands to go swimming in 1940, watched ships leaving for D-Day in 1944, got engaged to wife Joan by the pier, and worked there hiring out deckchairs. Mr Wilkins featured in the Echo on Monday after being knocked into Weymouth Harbour by his mobility scooter. The steps have been unofficially open for the last two weeks. "We're finally here," said Steve Elsworth from the Friends. "The steps are beautiful. It's wonderful to be back on the beach again, and the public reaction has been ecstatic." Building the steps was the last hurdle to restoring full access to the popular beach. Castle Cove has been blocked off for more than five years although it has been accessible at low tide by walking along the coast. The footpath to the beach from Old Castle Road was closed by Dorset County Council but has since been partially reopened. Subsidence prompted the removal of an access staircase down to the sands. The Friends, with support from the community, have been working on restoring access. Local firm David R. White Ltd constructed the new wooden steps, which are similar to the steps that was removed in 2013, but are mounted on scaffold poles so that they can be dismantled and rebuilt if the land starts to move. Mr Elsworth said: "A lot of people have helped us to build these steps. "We need to thank the community for getting behind us so enthusiastically, both Weymouth and Dorset Councils and their officers, local businesses which have donated money, and the landowners for leasing us the land. But the biggest thank you goes to our supporters who have been rock-solid." He added: "The steps are a remembrance of people we love, and a welcome to our children, grandchildren, and generations to come. "The beach has been enjoyed by the public for the past 100 years; we hope they will be able to enjoy it for a hundred years more." The steps will be opened at 1pm on Easter Saturday, April 20. Everyone is encouraged to wear brightly-coloured clothing or fancy dress. There will be games for children, and then a mass swim in the sea. Order by Oldest first Newest first Highest scored Lowest scored Loading comments... Last Updated: wrote: Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Most read Loading... Read more Get involved with the news in your community Send your stories and photos now ## Protest over plans to close Marks and Spencer store ## £250,000 'centre of excellence' unveiled for college ## Two people who set out to sea in inflatable 'not seen to return' ## The five most expensive streets in and around Weymouth ## Main town streets to close to traffic for 'heritage day' ## Police to step up patrols following reports of anti-social behaviour ## Government vows to listed to concerns over sale of Dorset defence company ## Dorset's sexiest town revealed...and it's not where you think ## Here's where Dorset Police No Excuse and speed camera vans will be this week Most popular Loading... Read more
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Castle Cove, Weymouth
History.
A landslip resulted in the removal of the steps to the beach in February 2013. With no footpath access to the beach, local Green Party member Clare Sutton organised a petition via Change.org, in effort to prompt Weymouth & Portland Borough Council to work with Dorset County Council, local landowners and businesses to find a solution. Launched on 22 March 2014, the petition had attracted over 1,700 signatures by 7 April. The council's Head of Infrastructure had responded that no funding was available to stabilise the coastline and that it would cost a significant amount of money to rebuild the steps. Clare Sutton and the local Green Party organised a public meeting in August 2014 and appealed to the local community to form a pressure group to reopen the steps. The Friends of Castle Cove Beach was formed, with the group becoming a charity three years later. The charity functioned by being inclusive and non-political, and by involving all the communities connected to the beach. They set up a Facebook page which attracted 1,200 supporters, ran social and fundraising events, and started a monthly newsletter. In 2018, the charity leased a strip of land leading to the beach, gained planning permission and started trying to fundraise £35,000. In April 2019, new stairs were installed, through the fundraising efforts of the Friends of Castle Cove Beach Charity.