Segedunum Roman Fort Museum Viewing Tower Lift

Panoramic lift refurbishment to extend its life expectancy

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Services (1)

Vertical Transportation

Sectors

Leisure and Entertainment

Location

Wallsend, Newcastle, United Kingdom

Client

North Tyneside Council

This comprehensive refurbishment of the scenic tower lift for Segedunum Museum allows visitors to travel up 20 metres above ground and look down upon the landscape below. The museum is the custodian of a historically significant Roman fort site which features exposed ruins. Our vertical transportation team was approached to provide an initial assessment of the lift to ascertain the level of improvement and accessibility works required.

Following a survey, it was determined that the main structure of the lift remained in good condition. However, to provide general lift reliability and add another 20 years of life expectancy, an upgrade of the main components (open protocol control system, machine and door operator) was required. Additional health and safety, cosmetic and accessibility improvement works were carried out as part of the refurbishment. These included the introduction of the landing indicators, audible notifications to buttons as well as safety edges with red and green flashing lights for visual indication of the doors closing.

Tony Bootes, Lift Consultant, comments: “The Segedunum tower lift is a one of kind bespoke installation, allowing visitors to look down at the site from a bird's eye view. To maximise the longevity of this feature, the project delivered the required improvements and long-term benefits for the client without the cost of a full lift replacement."

Key fact

Segedunum, the Roman fort at Wallsend, marks the eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall, which for almost 300 years formed the north-west frontier of the Roman empire.

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Key fact

Wallsend takes its name from its Roman history, but the town is equally famous as a world leader in both coal mining and shipbuilding.

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Key fact

Built around AD125, Segedunum was part of an extension to Hadrian’s Wall, built three or four years after the main construction.

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Graham in an open collar shirt and suit jacket against a dark wall

Graham Barker

Partner, Vertical Transportation

View bio

This project was approached from an accessibility and reliability improvement perspective with an added focus on sustainability. Supported by the client, our net zero carbon strategy meant that only the end-of-life components were replaced.

A closed silver elevator with illuminated level indicators sits beneath a sign reading “Tower Panorama.” Two tall light panels stand on either side, and a wall display with text and an illustrated figure is visible to the right.