Renovation
Work started in June 1997 by Ingram Smith, English Heritages contractors to repair, renovate and make safe the Fort. By June 1998 renovation was mostly complete.
Ingram Smith had completed the bulk of the contract for English Heritage. They continued to have a small presence on site to finish various projects awaiting materials or specialist craftsmen.
The culmination of the main work was the raising of the Fort's flag pole on 27 May 1998 at noon. A 120 ton mobile crane was required to raise the sixty foot pole to its original position on the roof of the Keep. The lifting operation and positioning of the flag pole went very smoothly, which was more than could be said for the weather! It rained virtually non-stop during the whole morning.
We had hoped for major media coverage of the flag pole project but it was the first day of the Suffolk Show, so! At lest the local press (EADT) attended to give their accustomed and much valued support together with English Heritage's press officer.
Volunteers are encouraged to come along to open days and see the work that has been carried out (volunteers get in free).
All of the paintwork has been completed and the wooden stair cases on the fire control building on the roof of the Fort have been replaced. A stone mason has repaired various stairways inside the Fort and most of the carpentry is now complete. All loop holes and embrasures have been fitted with unbreakable glass. We still need to develop more display and interpretaion projects although our replica 38 ton RML gun is a good start.
Please visit our wish list pages to see if there is any way you can help with artefacts or information. Thank you.
D. Wood
