A historic harbourfront building could be set for restoration.

The East Looe Town Trust has been awarded a match-funded grant by the Architectural Heritage Fund to conduct a viability study to assess costs and options for restoring the Watchtower on East Looe seafront. 

The old lifeboat shed and Watchtower is a Grade II listed building which has played an important role in Looe’s seafaring history but  is now vacant and used to store items that will not be damaged by damp.

If restoration work is to go ahead the Trust will be seeking more substantial funding, which to some extent will depend on the level of local community support.

Trust chairman John Warne said: ’The Trust has a duty to protect listed buildings in its care, and to use all its assets to support its charitable purposes. 

’We welcome expressions of support for restoration and suggestions about the future use of the Watchtower - understanding that to meet the cost of maintaining the Looe Museum, beach and seafront, Wooldown, and Guildhall, the Trust is almost entirely dependent on its rental income.’