Bryan Wilding is set to retire from hairdressing and plans to spend more time on his passion – renovating Walmer castle.

No, not the famous castle which has been a home to the Lord Wardens of the Cinque Ports, but a ruined one which backs onto his home, in Walmer Court, Walmer, and which he co-owns.

Bryan and his friend John Kirkbride, who lives in Basingstoke, Hampshire, and has a holiday flat in Walmer Court, bought the ruined castle for £44,000 at an auction in 2007.

The castle, set in a third of an acre, is Norman, and had been badly neglected. Bryan and John bought it as there was interest from developers and they wanted to preserve it.

Bryan says it can officially be described as a ‘proto-keep’ type of castle, as it has a dry moat and no outer wall. In the area it is usually known as the ruins of Walmer Court.

Bryan, 66, has run Wildings hairdressers in Deal’s Queen Street for 37 years, and has been in business since 1966, and feels the time has now come to sell up. He will then be able to devote much more time to what he says is a labour of love, and turn the ruined castle into one of the area’s historic assets.

His next major task will be capping – rounding off the flint walls to stop rain seeping through and causing damage.

Since buying the ruined castle, Bryan has organised occasional open days, including one attended by 30 archaeologists, a profession which has shown considerable interest in his project. He plans to have more open days, which will be arranged by appointment.

He said: "It is a Walmer castle, and it is certainly worth preserving."

For the full story of Bryan Wilding and the other Walmer castle, see this week’s East Kent Mercury - out Thursday.