Urgent call for help to save Hayle's old sluice gates just days before they are set to be destroyed
Two very large pieces of Hayle's history are set to be destroyed and thrown away if someone does not come forward with a new home for them in the next few days.
The old sluice gates that used to be operated alongside the town's swing bridge were uncovered during excavations in July 2011 for the new road at North Quay.
The gates were moved and stored at construction company Carillion's compound but now the £14.25 million infrastructure project in the town is close to completion and a new home must be found or the gates will have to be dismantled.
The gates, which weigh about 11 tonnes each, were buried in the redundant Northern Sluice in 1981 after the National Rivers Authority replaced them with a new flood protection system.
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The main frames of the gates are intact but the rest of the gates are in poorer condition.
Construction manager Dave Simpson said: "Since the gates were removed, the project team has been making efforts to find a home for these gates rather than have to dismantle and dispose of them.
"Hayle Town Council, Cornwall Council's Historic Environment Service and others have not been able to find a new use for them or a suitable permanent site for them to be displayed."
The sluice gates, which were used at Copperhouse Pool, were found 4ft below ground behind the Hayle Harbour Office.
The harbour's sluices were officially opened in 1834 and ran effectively until 1971 when the decline in port trade led to them being closed for the last time.
Mr Simpson added: "The Hayle North Quay Project is very close to completion and a final decision about the future of the gates is only days away."
Anyone with an idea to save these historical relics should contact Mr Simpson on 01736 751210 as soon as possible.
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