OPENING hours are to be cut at Dover, Deal and Walmer castles. And jobs are likely to go at at least two of the castles.

Dover Castle is to close two days a week during the winter months, Deal Castle will close for six months and Walmer Castle will close for four months.

English Heritage said it was the result of a nationwide review of their operations.

The first of the changes is due to come into effect in October. Deal Castle is to close from October 1 to March 31, except for special events which will still be held there.

Walmer Castle, the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and the place where Wellington died, will close from November 1 to February 28. The gardens will remain open.

From November 1 to January 31, Dover Castle will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week. But it will remain open one hour longer during the peak months of July and August.

Jobs will obviously be affected at Deal and Walmer, although it is anticipated there will be no redundancies at Dover.

In a statement, English Heritage said that as part of their responsibilities as the government’s lead body on the historic environment, they regularly review operations to ensure they are efficiently managing their properties to meet customers’ needs and deliver the best possible experience for all visitors.

The changes were part of their most recent nationwide review. A spokesman said: “The changes to our opening hours have been planned to help us provide the best service we can.

“We remain extremely committed to providing an excellent experience for visitors to all our sites in Kent, signalled by our decision to appoint a new Head of Visitor Operations for Kent who is based at Dover Castle.”