908 nEroRT— 1888. 



2. At the same time communications were received upon the same subject from 

 Mr. Stephen Pritchard and Mr. William Belts, two neighbouring proprietors. 



3. From these communications it would seem to be generally admitted that the 

 sea was advancing by degrees upon the land ; and at the same time an opinion waa 

 expressed that part of the injurious action was due to the construction of groynes in 

 front of Sandown Castle. 



4. An inquiry was thereupon instituted by order of the Secretary of State, by 

 which it would seem that the lowering of the groynes would be of little or no advantage 

 to the security of the neighbouring beach ; but as, at the same time, they seemed to 

 be of little advantage to the Castle itself, the Secretary of State ordered them to be 

 lowered, as was communicated to you in a letter from this Office of the 4th November 

 last. 



5. It was pointed out in that letter that it could scarcely ever be possible that 

 " the measures taken by one proprietor should be those best calculated for the general 



interests of the neighbourhood, when all are threatened with the same dangers ; and 

 the Secretary of State expressed his perfect readiness to subordinate the measures 

 taken for the protection of Sandown Castle to any general measures which may be 

 adopted for the protection of the coast. 



6. As the Secretary of State did not hear that any such general measures were in 

 contemplation, and as it was a matter of importance to determine what was the best 

 course to adopt with reference to Sandown Castle, his Lordship, after consulting with 

 the Inspector-General of Fortifications, ordered that the subject should be referred to 

 Mr. Redman, a civil engineer of considerable experience in works of this description. 



7. Mr. Redman has made a searching investigation into the whole of the circum- 

 stances, and has presented a valuable report, which, as it is of equal and, indeed, 

 greater interest to the neighbouring proprietors than to this Department, has been 

 printed for general information. 



8. As the present letter will explain the circumstances under which Mr. Redman's 

 report was made, the Secretary of State has directed that it should be printed with 

 the report. 



9. Twenty-five copies of the report are herewith transmitted for distribution 

 among the landholders mo.st interested, and additional copies will be forwarded, should 

 you require them. 



10. The perusal of this report, and, indeed, the mere inspection of the plan, is 

 sufficient to show that the further maintenance of Sandown Castle must in anj' case 

 be difficult, and will be quite impossible iinless the neighbouring proprietors are 

 willing to incur the expense of general measures for the defence of their respective 

 properties. 



11. If those measures are undertaken, the Secretary of State will provide in the 

 Army Estimates for that proportion of the works recommended, which wiU cover the 

 property of this Department. 



12. If they are not undertaken, Sandown Castle will be dismantled, and no future 

 expense incurred on its maintenance.' The military value of tlie Castle is but 

 secondary, and, though interesting from historical recollections, the Secretary of State 

 does not consider he would be justified in incurring the expenditure recommended 

 by Mr. Redman at p. 11 of his report [p. 910] for Sandown Castle itself, as those 

 measures would only be of temporary assistance, and would entail constant additional 

 expenditure as the sea advanced on either flank of the Castle, and would ultimately 

 swallow it up. 



13. On the other hand, if the general measures suggested by Mr. Redman at p. 14 

 fp. 911], or other measures of an equally general character be adopted, there may be a 

 fair chance, not only of maintaining the Castle, but of saving the whole neighbour- 

 hood from the peril to which it now seems to be exposed. 



The question must now be left to be decided by the landowners, who may obtain 

 a local act for the purpose, or set on foot any other collective action they may think 

 best ; and the Secretary of State hopes that you and they will give him the credit of 

 having endeavoured, to the best of his power, to afford to the neighbours of the War 

 Department property at Sandown Castle as much assistance as it is in his power to 

 afford. 



I have the honour to be. 



Sir, your obedient Servant, 



(Signed) B. Hawes. 



' [Carried into effect February 1863.] 



