More conservation work on medieval clock tower

Manx National Heritage has plans to replace the belfry cap with a lead roof

Plans for further conservation work on a medieval clock tower in the south of the Isle of Man have been submitted.

Under Manx National Heritage's proposals, the existing capping to the belfry in the Castle Rushen clock tower in Castletown would be replaced with a lead roof.

In March, the clock was removed from the tower for refurbishment while damage tot eh tower itself was dealt with.

The works follow weathering of existing capping to the belfry, which has led to cracks allowing water to get into the structure.

That had resulted in corrosion of the bell bracket and caused damage to the clock room.

The proposals would also see the replacement of the gutter and reinforcing the clock room west window lintel.

As the castle is a registered building, conservation works require planning permission.

Castle Rushen was predominantly built in the 13th and 14th Centuries for a Viking King, and the structure has previously been a royal residence as well as a Victorian prison.

While the current clock face at the castle was put in place in the 1980s, the timepiece's mechanism dates back to the 16th Century.