Notices – Friends of Stokes Bay

Browndown Access until 7th December

No.2 Battery/Diving Museum

The work being carried out by the Historical Diving Society to repair the Battery is almost completed and now the work to redevelop the Diving Museum has commenced.

A ‘soft opening’ is planned for Good Friday, April 2026 if delays can be kept to a minimum.

Benches

We have reported a number of broken benches along the promenade which are dangerous for the public to use. We have now received confirmation from GBC that they are attempting to contact the families connected to these benches to see what they would like to have done with them, if appropriate, replaced or removed. The family plaques on some benches have been removed and stored for safe keeping and families informed.

Petanque

Our pétanque group continues to meet every Wednesday at 11am. No experience required, just a good sense of humour, we have boules to share and a WhatsApp group to inform who will be attending on the day. All welcome as membership of the Friends is not a requirement.

D-Day Memorial

The unveiling of the D Day Memorial on a very wet, chilly and blustery day failed to dampen the spirits of all who attended the solemn and thought-provoking ceremony, and especially D-Day veteran Mr Westgate. Congratulations and thank you to all the D Day Fellowship team for their hard work and dedication in achieving this very special memorial.

Fort Gilkicker

Commissioned by Prime Minister Lord Palmerston in the 19th century, Fort Gilkicker is a remarkable piece of Victorian engineering. Built between 1863 and 1871, it was designed to counter the growing threat of invasion with its 22 gun emplacements in granite-faced casemates. Decommissioned in 1956, the fort remains a Grade II* listed building and scheduled ancient monument. Its architectural significance and historical role in coastal defence make it a truly unique structure, now undergoing a transformation into 26 luxury houses.

Photographs below show this beautiful Victorian structure, now exposed by the removal of the earth bank.

The last two photographs looking east before and after the “bank” that has been created with earth from the fort.