A BID to piece together Highcliffe Castle’s rich history is under way with an appeal for local people to lend a hand.

Castle bosses are striving to create a comprehensive archive of the castle’s history, once lived in by Harry Gordon Selfridge, founder of the eponymous department store in Oxford Street, London.

Now, in its 36th year of council ownership, David Hopkins, manager of Highcliffe Castle said an effort to compile the historic and modern documents has begun.

The council’s paperwork dates back to long before the compulsory purchase order was placed on the castle, with documents from the Highcliffe Castle Charitable Trust, which was instrumental in lobbying for the restoration of the now- popular destination, also included.

These include papers from the late Eileen Hight, who lived near the castle and lobbied for complete restoration.

Mr Hopkins said: “One of our volunteers is a retired archivist and we are fortunate that she is overseeing the creation of the archive.

“Over the years the council has amassed a huge amount of paperwork and has also collected books and articles about the castle and its history.

“In addition, the public have donated items. There is also a large collection of photographs taken by another volunteer from the early 1990s when repairs first began.”

The plan is that once a comprehensive archive has been created the collection can be made available to researchers, schools and universities.

Mr Hopkins added: “Modern records can be and will be as important in years to come as the Victorian ephemera that we cherish now.

“The public may very quickly forget the Highcliffe Castle story unless we look after these documents, so anything adding to the story will be greatly appreciated, especially photographs where the castle features.”

Plea

DAVID Hopkins is asking for any materials, either original source material or copies that the public may wish to donate for inclusion in the archive.

Anybody wishing to contribute should contact 01425 273110.