In November 2007, one of Bristol’s most notable landmarks closed to the public after the discovery of cracks. Known as Cabot Tower, the 105ft building on top of Brandon Hill, near the city centre, has a rich history, having been built in the 19th century.
The tower was built in 1897 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the journey of John Cabot from Bristol to Newfoundland. This land would become Canada, whilst the Cabot name would become synonymous with Bristol.
Despite the significance of Cabot Tower, which was also built in Newfoundland, the tower was “disgracefully neglected” according to locals when the monument was closed in 2007 and delays impacted work, repairing the landmark, from beginning. In 2007, cracked masonry was discovered meaning the tower was closed to protect the public.
In January 2008, it was announced that Cabot Tower would be closed until Easter. Despite this, by 2010 very little had happened and the landmark was covered in graffiti, boarded up and the door to the iconic staircase locked.
The initial cost of £70,000 to repair the tower soon became £420,000 and the Bristol Post decided to campaign for Bristol City Council to take action and restore the tower. An article, dated February 25 2010, said: “It is a unique and iconic Bristol landmark, and yet it has been disgracefully neglected.
“Today Cabot Tower stands not as a monument to a great adventurer but as a symbol of indifference and decay. From 1897 Bristolians made their way up the spiral staircase for a unique view of the city, but for the past three years they have been met with unsightly scaffolding and a locked door.
“Just 13 years ago the tower was a focal point of the 500th celebrations of Cabot’s discovery of Newfoundland, now it is partly boarded up and daubed with sickening graffiti. How could we have allowed such an important part of our heritage to get into such a state?
“The fact that the 113-year-old tower stands unloved and unprotected is outrageous. Today the Evening Post is demanding the city council acts and acts fast. We say simply this: ‘Repair and reopen this tower, and make it something of which we can again feel proud.’”
Just days after the campaign was launched, specialist engineers were called to the tower and the council said that it was waiting on English Heritage to make a decision on an application for £250,000 of funding. The removal of graffiti also took place in March 2010 following the Save Our Tower campaign.
It would take until January 2011 for the restoration of the tower to begin and in August of 2011, Cabot Tower finally reopened to the public. However, the full restoration project wouldn’t be complete until 2014.
It was only ten years ago that a light code transmitter was reinstalled on the tower, having previously been switched off in 2001, and removed in 2007. The light spells out ‘Bristol’ in Morse code. Occasionally the coded message changes to other phrases, including ‘Merry Christmas’ during the festive season.
The historic tower sits proudly on top of Brandon Hill, overlooking the city’s other landmarks and tourist attractions. It is yet another reminder of John Cabot and his legacy after sailing on the Matthew out of Bristol and discovering ‘The New World’.
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