Section of Berlin Wall now stands in Herefordshire

6 hours ago

Elliot BallWest Midlands

James Hervey-Bathurst, owner of Eastnor Estate, said it was "incredibly meaningful to now have a full-size souvenir" after visiting Berlin in 1975

Eastnor Castle A man in a dark coat, brown trousers, wellington boots and a black cap stands next to a thin section of concrete that has pink, blue and black graffiti on it. — James Hervey-Bathurst, owner of Eastnor Estate, said it was "incredibly meaningful to now have a full-size souvenir" after visiting Berlin in 1975

A segment from the Berlin Wall, one of more than 170 pieces taken from the structure, has a new home in Herefordshire.

The 3.6m (12ft) chunk that weighs 2.6 tonnes (2,600kg) has been positioned at Eastnor Deer Park, near Ledbury.

The Berlin Wall, erected on 13 August 1961, stretched for 96 miles and formed a barrier between West Berlin and Eastern Europe. It was demolished on 9 November 1989.

The new installation in Ledbury once formed part of the wall just north of central Berlin and still bears its original graffiti.

James Hervey-Bathurst, owner of Eastnor Estate, acquired the artefact earlier this year during a trip to Germany where he viewed remaining segments near Meyenburg in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Moved by the opportunity to preserve the pieces, he selected this particular section for its exceptional condition and authentic artwork.

"I was fascinated to learn that original sections of the wall were still available," he said.

"Seeing them first-hand made me determined to bring one here, where it could be experienced by the public."

The Herefordshire section now stands on concrete pads that once supported Nissen huts housing American troops in preparation for the D-Day landings in 1944.

A spokesperson for Eastnor Castle said the segments positioning drew "a symbolic connection between two defining periods in the struggle for freedom in Europe".

Visitors can view the Berlin Wall segment free of charge during visits to Eastnor Deer Park

Eastnor Castle An orange crane with large tracks holds up a section of concrete while a man in a high viz jacket supervises. Two other men in green and brown coats watch on in the foreground. — Visitors can view the Berlin Wall segment free of charge during visits to Eastnor Deer Park

The estate's owner added: "There are many sites worldwide where Wall segments can be seen – even one small piece on Mars – and now Eastnor has become one of them.

"I visited East Berlin as a tourist back in 1975, and it is incredibly meaningful to now have a full-size souvenir of that experience."

"I hope older visitors will appreciate what a serious and imposing barrier it truly was, and that it will introduce schoolchildren to such an important chapter in European history."

Visitors can view the Berlin Wall segment free of charge during visits to Eastnor Deer Park which is open daily.

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