Swansea's Oystermouth Castle set to be upgraded

Image source, Nigel Davies/Geograph

Image caption, The work will aim to slow down the decay of 14th Century paintings inside Alina's Chapel at Oystermouth Castle

Work to preserve one of Swansea's most historic landmarks is due to start.

Specialists will remove invasive vegetation and fix areas of unstable masonry at Oystermouth Castle, Mumbles.

Much of the 拢155,000 work at the Norman-built Grade I-listed ancient monument will be centred around Alina's Chapel, which was first opened to the public 10 years ago.

The work will aim to slow down the decay of 14th Century paintings inside the chapel.

It involves carefully removing and replacing the layer of turf, known as soft-capping, on top of the chapel walls.

The soft-capping acts as a thermal blanket protecting the walls from excess water and frost that can damage the mortar.

The work is due to be completed before the castle reopens to the public this summer.