Henry VIII ordered the building of Sandsfoot Castle in around 1539, to protect the waters of Portland Roads against the threat of foreign invasion. The castle has been under attack from coastal erosion ever since it was built and has been closed to the public since the 1930s, when it was deemed unsafe. With the aim of re-opening the castle up to the public, this project was part-funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and consisted of conservation treatment to the stonework and the insertion of a new lightweight walkway around the interior. As a result of the work, Sandsfoot was taken off English Heritage’s Buildings at Risk Register and is now open to the public.