Volunteers work to reopen city's old observatory

16 hours ago

Caroline Gall,BBC News, West Midlandsand

Laura May McMullan,in Stoke-on-Trent

BBC Miles is stood at the observatory site with a man working on the ground in the background. He is wearing a checked shirt and glasses and is holding a metal pole. A very rundown and dirty dome can be seen behind him. — Miles Palmer said the founders "used scrap material and their ingenuity" to build and amazing telescope

Volunteers have taken on the mammoth task of restoring an old observatory to its former glory.

Newchapel Observatory in Stoke-on-Trent was considered to be revolutionary when it was built in the 1960s by four amateur astronomers. It had an observatory and planetarium and featured custom-built domes, specialized solar-observation telescopes, and a natural science education centre.

However, it fell into disrepair when one of the founders died in 2010 and now the Friends of Newchapel Observatory are hoping to reopen it.

The group is planning to build a new dome and telescope while carrying out repairs and building a new floor.

Michael Pace, who founded the centre along with his brother Tony, built the centre as he wanted to share his passion for astronomy with the local community. He died in 2010.

Miles Palmer, director of the group of friends, said the original astronomers "used scrap material and their ingenuity and they built the most amazing telescope".

Friends of Newchapel Observatory James is stood inside the building looking down at items in a pile on the floor with his hand on his chin. He has an orange t-shirt on and brown trousers. He is stood in a circle and boxes on the floor also contain various items. — Keele Observatory astronomer James Albinson is volunteering to use his expertise on the project

Community champion Matthew Wright said the restoration project had been "enormous" with lots of people involved.

"I got involved two years ago and the site was completely overgrown," he said.

"But also work is going on, on the dome, to build the floor and get ready for the installation of the dome... it's an exciting point that we're at."

Keele Observatory astronomer James Albinson is volunteering to use his expertise to help build the new dome and telescope.

"It was one of the larger amateur telescopes built at that time in the United Kingdom and now we are working to restore the floor, extend the original support," he said.

"We have a new pillar going up through the floor, new dome and a new telescope to carry us forward for a number of decades to come."

Volunteer Chelsea Johnson said she hoped the project inspires more people to become interested in astronomy once the site open.

"The younger generation needs to get involved in it because there's not many places like this.

"Look at Jodrell Bank [home of the UK's largest telescope].

"That's struggling for funding at the minute. It's losing it and this is why we need everyone in the community to get involved."