A NEWLY-APPROVED heritage centre based in Castletown on Portland has taken one step forward with the donation of a rare Dorset fishing boat built more than 100 years ago.

In November last year the Echo revealed how Nemesis Properties was given approval to build workshops, storage units and holiday flats on premises on Castletown Pier.

Further project plans were revealed to the Echo in July, which included a scuba diving tourist facility, or "underwater curiosity park", an American-themed D-Day attraction, and a heritage centre.

The plans have been welcomed by South Dorset MP Richard Drax.

Nemesis Properties is owned by Derek Luckhurst, owner of care provider AginCare. The provider recently spent nearly £2m to turn the Admiralty Buildings in Castletown into its new headquarters.

Mr Luckhurst said the aim of the project was to bring Castletown "off its knees" and the heritage centre will be based inside the Admiralty Buildings.

Weymouth and Portland borough councillors gave the green light for the heritage centre at the start of September.

The centre will include a section for the American 1st Division that embarked for D-Day from Castletown, and a permanent exhibition dedicated to the ambitious Jurassica project.

A Fleet Lerret fishing boat called 'Silver Star', which was built in 1914, has now been donated to the centre by the Chesil Bank and Fleet Nature Reserve.

Don Moxom of the Chesil Bank and Fleet Nature Reserve said: “I'm delighted to give the Lerret to the safekeeping of the Castletown Heritage Centre.

“It is part of the rich heritage unique to Portland and I would hate to see this disappear. I hope now that many people will be able to see this rare and beautiful boat.

“One of only three known original Lerrets, Silver Star has been stored in a remote stone quarry on Portland for the last few years.

“In its heyday it was used for fishing off Chesil beach from Portland and, most recently, from Chickerell.”

Mr Moxom added that Lerret boats are approximately eighteen feet in length, with a beam of between five and six feet.

He said the Lerret was primarily a fishing boat but their crews often risked their own lives launching into challenging seas to rescue mariners in difficulty off the Dorset coast.

Tim Clark of Clark Boatworks Ltd has offered to renovate the Silver Star, which will be placed outside the Heritage Centre.

Renovation work will begin in November and finish in the spring of 2016, when the Lerret will go on display to the public.

CONTACT ME:

t: 01305 830986

e: tara.cox@dorsetecho.co.uk

twitter: @DorsetEchoTara