As part of the Heritage Month (May) programme, BMM Director Dr. Edward Harris gave a walking tour of the 1830s-built Casemates Barracks Complex at Dockyard, currently under pre-restoration by a team of volunteers under his supervision. There's been a huge amount of change since I was last up at Casemates to help out myself with the clearing process, with now very little evidence of the once-rampant Casaurinas and other invasive vegitation and the removal and consolidation of non-original structures and masses of rubble. He showed us newly discovered ovens in the one-time bakery, concealed stairwells in the main barracks (see 2nd photo), and cave-like magazines carved out of the limestone hillside into which the complex nestles. Everyone made it to the blinding white rooftop—even a determined gentleman in his 90s—to take in the uninterrupted views of Dockyard and beyond. There was excitment and speculation about the possibilities and potential for this magnificent historic site, the oldest standing building in Dockyard, after its restoration is achieved.
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