Heritage Council funding for Watchtower
Waterford Council have been successful in a recent funding application to the Heritage Council for conservation works funding on Waterford’s medieval Watchtower. Waterford City and County Council have a proven track record in conservation works to the Medieval City walls and towers.
Over the past 15/20 years major roofing and repointing works were carried out on the towers. Waterford Council, with funding from the Heritage Council, commissioned a report by Southgate Associates to assess accessibility to the City walls and towers.
Based on this report, it is intended to carry out works, on a phased basis, to make the walls more visible and to provide safe access for the public to towers in Council’s ownership. At the moment, the City walls are “hiding in plain sight”. Thousands of people pass through the walls by the Watchtower and 2 adjacent towers without realizing they are entering the Medieval City of Waterford.
From a tourist perspective, it will add to the visitor offering connecting with the Museums in the Viking Triangle. Phase 1 of the programme is facilitating access to the Watchtower which is sited on one of the main routes into the city. The building is in good condition and in a highly visible location. This year, the Heritage Council provided €10,000 towards the works on the Watchtower and these should be completed by the end of November 2019.