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Video: Watch this huge crane lift beams into place at Clifford’s Tower

The huge crane hoists another piece into place. Photographs: English Heritage
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It’s an epic job – as this video shows.

A giant crane has been hoisting huge timbers into place at Clifford’s Tower, as English Heritage’s upgrade to the ancient monument continues apace.

Altogether 14 enormous structural timber frame sections and over 100 connecting timbers were lifted yesterday (Thursday).

The timber pieces – some longer than 9m – were positioned by a 200-tonne mobile crane.

These will help to support Clifford’s Tower’s new roof deck, and were fabricated off site before being transported to the tower by flatbed lorry.

The roof deck will allow visitors to enjoy spectacular panoramic views of the York skyline, and is being constructed in a way which will also help to protect the towers historic stonework.

A key moment

Work continues at the ancient landmark

This latest stage of the project follows major conservation works to Clifford’s Tower’s historic fabric, including specialist care of the tower’s historic works and conservation of the chapel and re-tiling of its roof.

Conservation of the intricate plaques above the main doorway – which show the coats of arms of Charles I and Henry Clifford – is also now complete.

The team are making good progress on site and work is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

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The development should be finished this year

Andrea Selley, English Heritage’s territory director in the North of England, said: “This is a key moment for the project, and I am grateful to the team working on site for all their efforts to ensure it went completely to plan.

“We have been making good progress with the conservation of Clifford’s Tower’s historic fabric, and with these timber elements now safely inside the tower the team can commence work on the next phase of the project, helping to support the tower’s new roof deck.

“I am looking forward to welcoming visitors to experience the panoramic views of York from the roof deck when we reopen.”

The plans for Clifford’s Tower are being delivered separately to City of York Council’s Castle Gateway Project and York Museums Trust’s plans for the transformation of York Castle Museum.

However the three organisations are working together “so that the story of York Castle is told across the sites in a coherent way”.