Pinnacle Tower, Part of Great Yarmouth's Medieval Town Wall

The roof was added in the 16th century, complete with weathervane dated 1680. The tower is a scheduled ancient monument and appeared on the Heritage at Risk Register before the outbreak of COVID-19 but restrictions during the pandemic accelerated its deterioration.

Pinnacle Tower is looked after by Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust, which was established in 1979 to look after the town’s historic buildings that are at risk with the aim of restoring them back to viable economic use.

Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust had undertaken emergency works to the tower, but a fuller programme of repair was needed to ensure the structure was appropriately consolidated and sympathetically restored. Pinnacle Tower was awarded £24,844 through the COVID-19 Emergency Heritage at Risk Response Fund, part of the Culture Recovery Fund, to enable further repair works to be undertaken.

Emergency repair works were carried out in November 2021 with the existing peg tiles on the roof being lifted to inspect the condition of the laths, rafters and wall plates. Deteriorated roof timbers were removed and replaced. The existing roof tiles were rehung, and any missing peg tiles and lost oak pegs were replaced to match the existing ones.

Failing masonry on the outside of the tower has been repointed with lime mortar and doors and windows were repaired and replaced where necessary. The grant also allowed for failing rainwater goods to be overhauled and replaced in cast iron, where needed. Vegetation rooted in the external walls of the tower and overgrown shrubs were removed to help safeguard the future of the tower.