Hartlepool's Heugh Battery awarded £40k towards restoration

The Heugh Battery fired on three German warships and cut the Hartlepool bombardment short

A museum on the site of the UK's only World War One battlefield has been awarded almost £40,000.

The Heugh Gun Battery in Hartlepool engaged with German battlecruisers on 16 December 1914 when three ships opened fire on the North East coast.

The Historic England funds will pay for a detailed survey, after some parts of the museum were closed to the public.

Problems were found with decayed concrete, corroding metalwork, poor ventilation and flooding.

It is feared the issues will only get worse for the battery, which is already on the at Risk Register, if they are not repaired.

More than 100 civilians were killed and 400 more injured during the bombardment of Hartlepool.

It is believed the returning fire the Heugh Battery guns cut the bombardment short.

Tom Gledhill, Historic England's heritage at risk projects officer, said: "The Heugh Battery is one of the most important historic military sites in England. We are really pleased to be working with the Heugh Gun Battery Trust to restore this cherished local attraction."

The money will fund detailed surveys of the battery and pay for a repair plan

The money will help the independent military museum assess the extent of the damage and pay for a repair and maintenance plan. It is expected such a move will unlock further funding for the repairs and help secure its long-term future.

Manager of the Heugh Battery Museum, Diane Stephens, said: "We are grateful to Historic England for their support in helping us to access professional advice to get vital information together about what is needed to repair and restore the fabric of this important historic military site, which is such a beloved part of our community."

Financial problems threatened the museum with closure in 2019 before supporters raised £32,000 the following year, having set an initial target of £5,000.

Last year, Swedish rock band Sabaton donated more than £4,000 to the museum from the proceeds of T-shirt sales, after the band heard about its fight for survival.