Historical information

From the Port of Portland website:
The original corkscrew was built as a gift to the Portland Harbour Trust by the contractors who constructed the port. It was designed in 1960 and fabricated shortly after the completion of the Main Breakwater.

The corkscrew was built as an observatory, with the observation deck approximately 13 metres above sea level. Its original design life was less than 25 years. The original structure was dilapidated, extremely unsafe and in danger of collapse.

Understanding the historical and community importance of the original structure, in 2016 Port of Portland began the process of designing and building a replacement.

The new corkscrew is a similar size and has been based on the same spiral shape of the original structure. The corkscrew has been constructed using mild steel, heavily coated in marine grade paint (similar to what is used on ships). Heavy duty plastic has been used for the walkway section which will withstand the harsh elements of the marine environment.

Physical description

Photograph of the Portland Corkscrew in the 1980s. Image is in black and white. The corkscrew is in front of a sky which is dotted with fluffy clouds. To the front of the Corkscrew are large rocks. The building is a spiral with glass windows. There is a white metal fence around it and a white pole at the top which reaches to the top of the image.

Inscriptions & markings

Bottom right:
J WILKINS