Fort Richmond owners want to rebuild parts of gun emplacement
THE owners of Fort Richmond have applied to repair and rebuild parts of a gun emplacement at the historic west coast fort, which is currently being converted into a home.
Work began on converting the fort – the only one remaining from the 1850s – in the summer of 2019 and is now approaching completion.
The planning application states that the reinstatement will closely follow drawings dating back to 1856, to restore the gun emplacement to its original appearance.
Meetings with representatives from Heritage and Planning have already taken place on site concerning the works, and States archaeologist Dr Phil de Jersey has been supervising parts of the project.
Details in the plans include matching granite work to the existing structure and using traditional lime bedding and pointing.
The fort was built in 1855 when there were concerns about French invasion.
The Victorian barracks is the only one from this period that has survived in Guernsey. The others at Fort Le Marchant and Fort Hommet were destroyed.
The States sold the Fort Richmond site for £1m. in June 2019 after originally listing it for sale in 2015 for twice that amount.
Work began soon afterwards to convert the derelict building into a single six-bedroom dwelling.
The designs included second floor accommodation at roof level and a pedestrian access bridge crossing the moat in order to meet the east elevation.
