12 February 2008

Caernarfon's Heritage back on song!
Photos by Malcolm Roberts

At last night's meeting of  the Caernarfon Partnership Steering group Cadw issued a statement which explained the situation pertaining the Clock at Porth Mawr.

Locals have not hear the clock strike for a number of years as political wrangling has been going on about who actually owns the building.  The dispute started many years ago when a brewery claimed they had ownership.

The statement given by Cadw read as follows:

Porth Mawr (The Exchequer or East Gate)

The ownership status of Porth Mawr has now been regularised, with Cadw (Welsh Assembly Government) now the sole owner/occupier.

Cadw has organised an urgent programme of basic consolidation and repair to arrest years of decay and neglect. This will be completed shortly and will see the building watertight, the removal of redundant and defective internal modern alterations and the restoration of both clocks and the curfew bell to working order. The decorative cast iron staircase that once accessed the Guildhall is also being removed for restoration but will not be reinstalled until a future plan for the building will be decided.

Cadw is now anxious to explore opportunities to bring this important building back into appropriate and effective use, whilst still preserving its historical significance. Cadw will shortly be consulting interested parties and organisations within or representing the local community with a view to taking the matter forward.

End.

Good news that at long last the clock will again sit proud at Porth Mawr, long overdue but at least a step in the right direction.