Friends of Belan Association

The Cannon.

Long-time FOBA member Steve Penfield and his son Craig have very kindly volunteered to restore the paintwork on three of the cannon.  The cost of the materials and the time involved will then be known and if they and the committee feel that the result is worthwhile the committee will consider asking them to go ahead with the job of bringing the rest of the cannon up to standard. 

The three cannon on the green and the two by the south gate are an exception.  They were beautifully restored some time ago by the  Anglesey Hussars, though it may now be time for some further work.  The Hussars more recently did a quicker job on four of the battery cannon, but sadly the work had not stood the test of time.

Picture below.

Restoration of the Bakehouse roof.

A small and decrepit building houses a fine example of a late 18th century oven which is in good order.  It was decided that the restoration  of the building would be a FOBA project.  Quotes were sought and Celtic Heritage started work in early March.  

Whilst the work on the interior of the building has now been completed the roof remains in disrepair.  To fill the holes in the roof, large slates were ordered by Selwyn Pritchard of Celtic Heritage and these have now been delivered but cannot be fitted until further work is carried out.

Liz Green, an architectural historian, (also a one-time member of the committee), has kindly advised us as we were not sure of the best way ahead.  She believes that we should  clear the rubble, kill the brambles, then carefully remove the upper slates to reveal what is underneath.  This work has now been instigated.

Pictures of the restored bakehouse interior are to be seen on the 'Achievements' page.

Iron work

Much of the iron work at the Fort is in a very sorry state indeed, as can be seen in the pictures below.  

The committee decided to undertake the restoration of the iron work, (wherever possible), and also replace on a like-for-like basis, missing parts, such as door stays.  

Justin Taylor now has the work underway.  He is  interested in working on metal conservation and has done work for the National Trust.

Having now completed the replacement of the handrails to the east and west turrets, he is fabricating replacements for missing/broken fittings for the four big gates.

The Stables

As seen in the picture the Stables are an attractive feature of the fort. They are only rarely open for viewing as the exterior is in need of much renovation work.  Could this be a FOBA project for the future?

Two new initiatives

These two initiatives, whilst being of educational value, are intended mainly for fun!  The aim is to provide added interest and enjoyment for visitors staying at the Fort and also for groups from the locality or further afield who book in advance. Groups will be invited to make a small donation to FOBA.

‘A Trail of Discovery'

This trail, which covers the Fort and Dock areas, will be led by teachers, group leaders, or parents. Maps will be available and will be marked with a number of points of interest. For more information about the trail and its possibilities please go to ‘Contact us’. This project is on hold for the time being.

The Orienteering Course.

A permanent orienteering course was set up in the grounds some years ago, making use of the Fort’s otherwise unused 40 acres of surrounding land. The course fell into disrepair and is now being brought back into use. Long- time Friends of Belan Helen and Ben Rivers who are keen orienteers, have reassessed the course and updated the map and the information page. New plaques have been purchased from Celtica Mapping, an Anglesey business which specializes in orienteering supplies and new maps have been printed and laminated.  The course will be ready for use as soon as the pandemic allows. We anticipate that the Trail and the orienteering course will be of interest to youth groups, such as school parties, scouts and guides.