Listed Building Consent is being sought for conservation works on Grimsby’s iconic landmark, the Dock Tower.
The Grade I listed structure owned by Associated British Ports (ABP) is the only one of its kind in the country and the work will include key structural repairs on the parapets, building of a new staircase, and drainage.
If approved by North East Lincolnshire Council, work could start on the historical structure later this year in the hope it can reopen to the public.
Simon Bird, Regional Director of the Humber ports, said: “It was during some routine maintenance work that it was picked up some of the further works that needed to be done to ensure the tower remains safe and accessible for the future.
“The Dock Tower is the jewel in the Port of Grimsby. It has been a beacon to so many over the years and for Grimbarians it is a symbol of home. As its custodians we have over the years spent time and money maintaining it, as it has such architectural historic value, and will be here for many more years to come once these essential works are carried out.”
Standing 309 feet (94.2m) tall to the top of the lantern, the tower was completed on 27 March 1852 to power the hydraulic machinery of Grimsby docks. Its height was to achieve the sufficient pressure needed to operate the machines.
It was built by James Meadows Rendel, the civil engineer who constructed the docks at Grimsby between 1844 and 1853 and opened by Queen Victoria when she visited the port in October 1854. Designed by James William Wild, an architect born in Lincoln, he also contributed to the Great Exhibition of 1851 and spent several years in Egypt, and you can see the middle eastern influence on the lantern at the pinnacle.
Jenny Bulmer, Conservation Engineer of Alan Wood & Partners, said: “Opportunities to work on such a unique and historically significant building as this come about rarely. Being able to discover some of the building archaeology and the history of its use throughout the process is a real privilege. Getting to see the tower brought back to life with a renewed purpose is something we can all look forward to.”
The current plans submitted include:
- Insertion of a new staircase
- Installation of internal lighting
- Brickwork repairs
- Metalwork repairs
- Paintwork
- Roofing
- Floor repairs
- Drainage
- Interpretation panels
