The castle today, its past and the BBC

Severndroog Castle, Shooters Hill, London, 2004 James's wife died in 1798, surviving all their children, but Severndroog Castle remained in the family until about 1816. Public access to the castle was withdrawn in about 1850 but this could happen again in the near future. The BBC's Restoration programme and its votes could save it and keep this building with a unique maritime history in public ownership.

The castle's past and wartime

In 1797 Severndroog was used by Major General William Mudge for part of the Trigonometrical Survey following up the work of the late General William Roy. This was the map-making linking up England and France by means of triangulation using trigonometric points, of which the castle was one. Ultimately the whole of Britain was divided into great triangles in a huge project which resulted in the first editions from 1801 of the Ordnance Survey maps which we still use today.

For a period of the year 1797 the 36-inch Great Theodolite of Jesse Ramsden (1735–1800) was installed on the top of the castle. Built in 1791 and weighing 200lbs this is the theodolite that was presented by George III to the Royal Society, and it can be seen in the Science Museum. A theodolite is a rotating telescope used to measure vertical and horizontal angles.

In 1847, the castle survived the threat of a proposal to build a 10,000 catacomb cemetery on Shooters Hill. A year later, the Royal Engineers used it for conducting a survey of London.

In 1922 Mr E. Probyn Godson bequeathed the estate and its ancient woodlands - which get their name Castle Woods from the tower and are a Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) - to public ownership. From this time until 1984 the castle was a public observation tower with a tea room on the ground floor. Tables and chairs were put outside on summer days.

As well as housing vital radar equipment, throughout the whole of the Second World War the tower was staffed day and night by two observers, both special constables, who were in telephonic communication with Whitehall and who kept a constant lookout for enemy aircraft.

The castle today

The castle on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk register has been closed and boarded up since 1988 and is becoming increasingly dilapidated. In 2002, Greenwich Council proposed to rent it out as offices but received a storm of public opposition, and a campaign to keep the castle for the public began. Visit the Severndroog Castle Building Preservation Trust (SCBPT) website for more information including a detailed timeline.

On a day in June 2004, the BBC for part of their Restoration programme came to film people protesting to save the castle. The mayors of Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark and many children displayed banners saying 'Vote Severndroog'.

The Severndroog Castle edition of Restoration 2004 aired 18 July. Visit the BBC TV's Restoration website to find out more.