Diglis Island Crane to be renovated with £20,000 grant

The crane at Diglis Island is set to be restored by the Canal and River Trust, using a £20,000 grant from the Association of Industrial Archaeology.

The Canal and River Trust emphasised the importance of the crane as part of the greater heritage of the area.

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A spokesperson said: “The crane is an important part of the heritage of Diglis Island and we are delighted to be able to restore it, so it can play a central role in helping visitors understand the rich industrial history of the waterways in Worcester.”

"The work will focus primarily on repairs to secure the cab and to address the corrosion, making it weather-tight to protect the interior.

"We will also be repainting the cab exterior for its protection and providing new interpretation signage to tell the story of its history at the site and the people that used it.

"We also hope that our wonderful local volunteers may be able to assist with repainting the jib, which has now been safely lowered to ground level."

The work however has gathered some concern from local history buffs Will Richards and Ian Done.

Will Richards, resident of Diglis and local history buff. (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Richards, a resident of Diglis, said: "It has been here since the 50s and was a working crane. It shows the importance of this whole area as a commercial centre for the West Midlands long before railways and adequate roads.

"I think my biggest concern is is this going to go the same way as the Diglis Crane, which was taken away, stolen and never replaced.

"I want to have some eyes on the situation as we do not want it to go the same way. If we put it in the hands of people who are supposed to preserve it and they do not, it will go."

Mr Richards embarked on a 12-year campaign to restore a crane that was stolen from storage after being removed from the nearby Diglis Marina.

READ MORE: Historic stolen crane in Diglis Marina will not be replaced

Worcester City Council has said it is not involved in the work being carried out by the Canal and River Trust.

The work is set to begin on Tuesday, August 15 and will be completed by Friday, October 6.

The Canal and River Trust want to host two `hard hat days` during the works to allow visitors the chance to see what is happening as part of the Heritage Open Days on Wednesday, September 13 and Friday, September 15.