Charlestown Harbour is a Grade II-listed UNESCO World Heritage Site located near St Austell Cornwall.
This week, the harbour’s lock gate was lifted for the first time since its installation in 1971.
The manoeuvre is a necessary step in essential regeneration works designed and managed by Beckett Rankine, with the lift carried out by ConstructEx.
The lock gate weighs in the region of 50 tonnes, with around 20 tonnes being mud and fouling alone. It was lifted manually by ConstructEx with the support of strategically placed chain blocks, which were digitally monitored for careful, even movements.
Charlestown Harbour is a small port formed of an inner and outer harbour, separated by a lock gate. Despite efforts in recent years to strengthen and maintain the existing lock gate, the asset has reached the end of its working life.
Following recent winter storms, the gate began to fail and posed a safety risk to harbour users and boat owners. A temporary solution was put in place to maintain the integrity of the harbour while works began towards a full replacement.
The new lock gate is designed as a sympathetic replacement that integrates with the harbour’s heritage, while adhering to modern design codes to address the predicted sea level rises and associated wave climate. It will be fabricated off-site in a modular fashion and connected on-site, making transportation, installation and future repairs easier and more efficient.
The new lock gate is anticipated to be installed in summer 2025.
The project has been funded by Charlestown Harbour Company owner Rolf Munding, with partial funding from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, awarded via the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme. The investment ensures the safe operation or the gate for the next 50 years.
Director and project lead, James Smith, said,
“Charlestown Harbour is a unique site that holds a lot of significance, both for its remarkable heritage and for its ongoing cultural impact as a tourist destination. The lock gate is key to the safe use and enjoyment of the area.
Beckett Rankine is highly experienced in managing the full life cycle of maritime assets, from initial design through to end-of-life dismantling. We value the opportunity to work on this piece of Britain’s maritime heritage and look forward to bringing the new lock gate to Charlestown later this year.”
