Huer's Hut in Newquay is restored

Repairs to an iconic landmark in Newquay were completed today, and early in the New Year people will be able to see the Huer's Hut restored to its former glory.

The hut has been covered in screening for the past few weeks while the repairs were carried out. It follows a campaign to preserve the building which has been on the site in Towan Head since 1835.

It's acted as a magnet to famous visitors like The Beatles - and to locals.

"We used to come up here as kids,everybody would come up here,climb on it and sit and enjoy the amazing view that we've got around the bay here. You'd learn about the history of it at school."

The hut has stood on the headland since 1835. It acted as a lookout to alert Newquay's fishing fleet to shoals of pilchards in the bay. But buffeted by winds and rain on its exposed location it was showing worrying signs of decay. Jon Goodman spearheaded an online campaing to save it. It was also supported by ITV's Philip Schofield, a native of Newquay.

Jon says: "It was unbelievable,the condition it was allowed to fall into ws we thought irreparable at the time. Some locals had taken photographs of the hut and asked me to step in, so I stepped in and suggested with the council we get it fixed."

Cornwall Council is paying for the repairs costing thirty thousand pounds which are being partly funded by grants from heritage organisations.

"It's a very important building and a listed building in Newquay so the idea is to do good repairs now that wll give long term benefits to the buidling in the future."

The hut's been wrapped in screening while the repairs were carried out. Today, as work was completed, we were allowed inside to see what had been done.

"There's a lot of inappropriate materials that had been used. The building had been patched up over the years so a lot of cement, materials that weren't really compatible with the building, so those items were removed."

A crowdfunding scheme has been set up to maintain the buidling.

"We've raised money now for maintenance on it. We're going to create a community group that will carry on that job."

"We raised eleven thousand pounds and estimated it's less than two thousand pounds to maintain the building."

The wrapping will come off in the first week of January- a late but welcome Christmas present for Newquay.