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GREAT DAY FOR A GREAT DOCK

(L-R) Tim Selman - Tamar Valley AONB Manager, Deborah Bowden - World Heritage Site Co-ordinator and Barry Gamble - Interim Director, Morwellham Quay

The Tamar Valley Mining Heritage Project celebrated the re-opening of Morwellham's Great Dock last Saturday, with special guests including the Deputy Mayor of West Devon, Cllr. Alison Clish-Green and parliamentary spokesman, Adam Symons - as well as speakers from Devon and Cornwall County Councils. 

(Pictured Left to Right: Tim Selman - AONB Manager, Deborah Bowden - World Heritage Site Co-ordinator, Barry Gamble - Interim Director of Morwellham Quay.)

Cllr. Neil Burden, who is also Chairman of the Tamar Valley AONB, kicked off the event on the quayside, which has recently undergone an impressive and ambitious restoration. 

In true English style, the weather broke just as the guests were gathering on the quayside, to the upbeat melodies of Callington Rubber Band.  But despite thundery clouds and a heavy down-pour, the crowd showed true British determination, with umbrellas and make-shift shelters making a colourful display around The Garlandstone.

The Great Dock was dangerous and collapsing after 150 years of standing in the deep mud of the River Tamar.  During the 19th century, it had served some of the biggest and most productive copper mines in the world.   Now this historic inland port berths The Garlandstone - a grand ketch (boat with two sails) - which has also been skillfully renovated.  The unusual ‘tiled’ quayside has been completely re-laid with 30,000 red earthenware squares.  These were laid around the dock to ensure that not an ounce of precious copper ore would be lost.

AONB Manager, Tim Selman said: ““The Garlandstone has been beautifully restored and would have carried 100 tonnes of copper ore and more than three million tonnes of ore would have passed through the dock during its lifetime.

“Now visitors to Morwellham can really experience what it would have been like 100 years ago, when the ship was first commissioned.  Thousands of tonnes of ore arrived at the dockside via the incline-plane railway and the next stage is the restoration of the tunnel portal to this part of West Devon’s great mining heritage.”

This joint project with West Devon Borough Council and the Tamar Valley AONB, has brought together £0.5 million funding from Devon County Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, South West RDA, Devon Renaissance and Objective 2 to carry out the comprehensive restoration to the quays. 
Mayor of West Devon, Councillor Terry Pearce said: " This is a fantastic effort and we want to thank everyone who has been involved. The reopening of the Great Dock is a huge step forward for Morwellham and we hope that people will visit and enjoy the many new facilities available."

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