Castle said to be the birthplace of King Arthur at risk of tumbling into the sea due to coastal erosion

A CASTLE fabled to be the birthplace of King Arthur is at risk of tumbling into the sea due to coastal erosion.

Parts of the cliff in front of Tintagel Castle’s visitor centre have already been lost as waves batter the coastline, said English Heritage.

And it reckons several other ancient coastal sites it manages are also at risk due to rising sea levels amid climate change.

The heritage body said the rate of land lost over the past few years was “alarming”, warning sea levels are now rising at their fastest rate for nearly three millennia.

It is hoping to raise £40,000 to repair damage at Tintagel, Cornwall, which hit a viewing area and coastal path.

It also wants to raise millions to protect other sites from the sea.

Rob Woodside, of English Heritage, said: “Hundreds of heritage sites in the UK and around the world are increasingly at risk.

“If these coastal properties are to survive, we will need to strengthen their walls and build sea defences.”

King Arthur is said to have been conceived at Tintagel after his dad was transformed by wizard Merlin to look like his mother Igraine’s husband Gorlois.