AN ANGLE museum and 19th Century fort, opening its doors to the public in little more than a week’s time, is appealing for volunteers to help with its operation and maintenance.

The historic Chapel Bay Fort and Museum will unofficially open on Good Friday, April 3, after years of painstaking restoration by operations directors George and Emma Geear and a team of volunteers, with occasional help from the Royal Engineers and local TA units.

The coast artillery fort, a scheduled ancient monument, was completed in 1891. It is the earliest known fort in the world constructed principally in mass concrete.

It was recently awarded £270,626 from the Coastal Communities Fund to support restoration and improve access, in addition to a previous £300,000 Welsh Government Community Facilities and Activities Programme (CFAP) grant.

Guided tours will take in the museum of military technology - a memorial to the men who served and trained there - underground works and tunnels, gun emplacements and magazines.

On display will be the biggest gun and shell in Wales; a 25 pounder gun howitzer, a 5.5 inch gun and a 10 inch 18 ton rifled muzzle loading gun, as well as an impressive collection of historic weaponry.

There will be special displays on the First World War, bomb disposal, artillery, small arms, the telephone exchange and the Royal Artillery forge and workshop.

The fort will open from 10am to 4pm from Good Friday, April 3rd, to Easter Monday, April 6th, and then every week from Wednesdays to Sundays.

Chapel Bay Fort Museum Operations Director Emma Greear previously said: “Without the volunteers we would not have got as far as we have done, they are the lifeblood of all these sort of things.”

She added: “We need as many regular volunteers as we can get; from maintenance, to guides, to people who would be prepared to give us a hand in the cookhouse. It’s about matching people’s skills to what needs doing, and what they can do and what they want to do.”

Anyone who would like to be involved in the project as a volunteer should contact 07437 568654 or email cbf@inbox.com

A formal opening will take place later in the year.