Man hospitalised after serious ‘fall from height’ at castle | UK | News

The person suffered injuries to his chest, femur and ankle before being taken by road to King’s College Hospital for additional medical care.

A spokesman for Kent Police said: “At 9.33am on Thursday, Kent Police were called to reports of a medical incident at Rochester Castle on Castle Hill. Officers attended the scene to assist colleagues from the South East Coast Ambulance Service. A man in his 50s was taken to a London hospital for treatment.”

Three fire trucks, as well as the technical rescue and line rescue unit of the Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS), were also present at the scene.

A representative from KFRS said: “Kent Fire and Rescue Service was called to Castle Hill in Rochester following reports of a person falling from a height. Three fire engines, as well as a technical rescue and line rescue unit, attended the scene and crews worked with HART paramedics to rescue the person, who was placed in the care of SECAmb.”

An ambulance service spokesman confirmed: “Multiple crews attended the scene and assessed and treated a man in his 50s for injuries including to his chest, femur and ankle, before taking him by road to King’s College Hospital for further medical treatment.”

Built to control an important river crossing, this stone castle was built in the 1080s and is among the oldest castles in England. In 1127 Henry I entrusted it to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who initiated the construction of the great castle, a marvel of medieval architecture and the tallest surviving structure of its kind in Europe.

The castle withstood three sieges, including a notable attack by King John in 1215, which resulted in the destruction of a corner of the castle.

Although it lost its relevance as a royal castle by the late Middle Ages and fell into disrepair by the 17th century, it continues to stand as a powerful emblem of medieval secular authority.