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The castle design was based on centuries of real castle-building techniques, many used in the construction of the castles within the care of English Heritage.

English Heritage has built the Ultimate Sandcastle at Dover Castle as part of its #LoveCastles summer season. It comes as the charity announces a special sandcastle building weekend at its castles across the country and a competition open to all budding sculptors.

The Ultimate Sandcastle, on display as of Friday (13 July 2018), is based on the best techniques from hundreds of years of castle design. It includes strong defensive features such as curtain walls and inner walls, crenellations, a drawbridge, portcullis, gatehouse and a great tower.

Roy Porter, English Heritage Senior Properties Curator and creator of the ultimate sandcastle, said:

'A castle is surely one of the most awe-inspiring sights but if you look closely, all is not what it seems. These amazing structures are a brilliant mix of ages and types, reflecting changing threats and fashions over centuries.

'By studying hundreds of years of trial and error by the real castle builders, our ultimate sandcastle contains everything you'd like to see, with each element showing off castle-building 'perfection' from a different era. I hope people will be inspired to build their very own Ultimate Sandcastle this summer - and support English Heritage to care for all our real castles.'

Jamie Wardley, Sand in Your Eye Sand Sculptor, said:

'At Sand in Your Eye we're used to creating great, big sand sculptures all over the world, but this was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. To be able to build and sculpt the most perfect castle, not only from a visual point of view but also historically using Roy's research was a real first for us. Bringing the ultimate sandcastle to life in the grounds of the real, ancient Dover Castle is something we won't easily forget.'

Help Defend England's Castles

English Heritage looks after 66 castles across England - more than any other organisation in the UK. To preserve these castles, the charity employs some of the country's best castle experts.

In support of the #LoveCastles season, and the Ultimate Sandcastle, the public can get involved by supporting the charity's crowd funder appeal. The appeal will help protect the nation's collection of castles for future generations to enjoy.

Build Your Own Sandcastle

As part of its #LoveCastles summer season, English Heritage is also calling on the public to get involved with its sandcastle workshops.

The workshops will be held on 21 and 22 July at castles including Dover, Carisbrooke, Pendennis, Kenilworth, Bolsover, Framlingham, Scarborough and Warkworth. The workshops are available on a first come, first served basis for a £2 donation to the #LoveCastles appeal.

The public is also invited to celebrate #LoveCastles with a country-wide competition to build a sandcastle this summer. Simply build a sandcastle anywhere in the world, place one of the charity's #LoveCastles flags (available for a £1 donation at staffed sites) on top and share your pictures on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (@EnglishHeritage) with the hashtag #LoveCastles. Photos can also be uploaded on the English Heritage website.

Prizes include a stay in a historic holiday cottage amongst a host of other prizes.

Learn how to build the perfect sandcastle on the English Heritage blog.

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