Plans to restore historic memorial

A BID is being made to restore a Caithness war memorial which commemorates the sacrifices made by local men at historic battles such as Waterloo, Trafalgar and Balaclava.

Highland Council wants to return the Soldiers’ Tower on the North Head path in Wick as near as possible to its original state as it has fallen into "a shabby condition".

Caithness ward manager David Sutherland told the John O’Groat Journal this week the council plans to lease the ground the memorial is built on so it can carry out the work.

The land is owned by Hempriggs Estate but it has agreed to lease it to the local authority.

Mr Sutherland said the project is expected to cost between £30,000 and £40,000 and should get under way later this year or early next year. The main source of funding is likely to be the War Memorials Trust and the council’s discretionary fund. The work is expected to be completed within a six-week period.

"We want to do a proper restoration of the tower, which was built by public subscription in 1909. The structure is in pretty good shape but in the 1980s it was covered with cement render which is now falling off. It is in a shabby condition and a barrier has been put around it as a temporary measure," said Mr Sutherland.

"We hope to do up the monument and install an interpretation panel which will provide information about the battles and the history of the tower itself. It could become an interesting visitor attraction. It is quite unique as not too many memorials were built before the First World War."

Mr Sutherland said the project may have to be carried out in two phases – the first to remove the cement render and then to assess the extent of the restoration required.

Once the work on the tower is finished, Mr Sutherland hopes it could become a listed building.

"I am keen to find any photos people may have of the tower between when it was built in 1909 and 1980. This will be very useful in ensuring any restoration work carried out returns the tower as near as possible to its original condition," added Mr Sutherland.

The tower was officially opened on Saturday, September 25, 1909. The ceremony was presided over by Provost Ross along with the Rev J McAusland Dickie who gave a reading and a prayer. The town band performed The Dead March, which was followed by The Last Post, played by two buglers who climbed on to the battlements of the tower.

Sergeant John Coull, who had seen service in the Crimea and in India and was the only surviving veteran of that period, was to have unveiled the plaque but was unable to attend.

His place was taken by Col EG Buick while a casket with the names of 400 veterans was laid under the floor by Sgt Miller who had served in South Africa in the Boer War.

Local historian Harry Gray said the catalyst and driving force behind the tower project was Pastor John Horne who had long wished to see a memorial raised to the Caithness men who had served their country on land and sea.

"The intention was to have a room of remembrance on the ground floor and to erect a middle floor which would have served as a mini museum. The tower was to have a fence around it and a weather vane on top but this never came to fruition," said Mr Gray.

"Today, the battle names can still be read on the various panels, names which still ring down the centuries – Trafalgar (1805), Waterloo (1815) and Balaclava (1854) – but the memorial is neglected. The entrance was bricked up shortly after the Second World War and the memorial now looks rather sad and in need of some tender loving care."

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