A CASTLE known 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 Tintagel CastleThe visitor center has already been lost as waves pound the shoreline, English Heritage said.
And it believes several other ancient coastal areas it manages are also at risk from rising sea levels due to climate change.
The heritage agency said the rate of lost land in recent years has been “alarming”, warning that sea levels are now rising at the fastest rate in nearly three millennia.
It hopes to raise £40,000 to repair damage in Tintagel, Cornwallreaching a lookout point and a 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 need to fortify their walls and build sea defenses.”
King Arthur is said to have been conceived in Tintagel after his father was transformed by wizard Merlin to look like Gorlois, the husband of his mother Igraine.