Cullercoats Watch House Renovation Project”.
The entry below is a synopsis of our speakers talk on 5th June 2024.
A very interesting presentation was given by Frank Taylor Assisted by Mike English spoke to us about the “Cullercoats Watch House Renovation Project”.
They started by telling us what the when and why the “Watch House” was built and for and its development. The Watch House was built in 1879 as a Watch House for the Cullercoats Volunteer Life Brigade to watch out for vessels in distress during periods of bad weather, it also served as a local community centre.
Cullercoats Life Brigade was formed in 1865, and consisted of between 60 and 70 men, nearly all of whom were fishermen. The concept of the Life Brigade was to assist the coastguard in saving lives from shipwrecks, by means of rocket apparatus. However, this duty could not be carried out without a strict watch being kept throughout storms and rough seas, both night and day.
The original building estimate was £385 15s 6d, and as soon as the money was raised, the Board of Trade ordered work on the new Watch House and Lookout to go ahead. As building work progressed, several important alterations were proposed, which increased the cost substantially. Amongst these were the Clock Turret containing a bell which could be sounded in foggy weather to assist fishing boats with their approach to land. Over the years the building became a members recreation place with a snooker table occupying a large part of the available space, the costs of running the building had outstretched its income so they decided to renovate the site to attract visitors and become a thriving unit again.
A very good morning for all our members who thoroughly enjoyed the presentation.
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