This season, your support helped protect one of Antarctica’s most remarkable historic sites. Here’s a recap of what we achieved.
Thanks to donor generosity, vital conservation work was carried out at Port Lockroy during the 2025/26 season, strengthening buildings, preserving heritage and improving how visitors experience this extraordinary place.
Led by conservation carpenters Jo Oliver and Dan Cheetham, and supported by the wider Port Lockroy team, this season’s work focused on one clear goal: protecting the site from the relentless Antarctic environment, while ensuring its stories can continue to be shared.
Starting with the essentials
Every conservation season begins with the careful arrival of cargo. Tools, materials and equipment were landed and transported by hand across the island, with every movement planned to minimise risk to people, place and wildlife.
Among the first major tasks was the lifting and repositioning of the historic “Beastie” ionosonde, a delicate operation that preserved an important piece of scientific heritage while enabling further conservation work around the base.
At the same time, practical improvements were made to safeguard daily operations. A new generator cover was installed in the shop (formerly the New Generator Shed), the Bransfield House artefact, while enhancing visitor experience at Port Lockroy.
Additionally, temporary decking was erected around Bransfield House so the carpenters could safely access areas of the building and reduce wear on the surrounding ground.
Strengthening Bransfield House
At the heart of the work was Bransfield House, an ever-evolving structure built in phases and constantly challenged by Antarctica’s extreme conditions. This season focused on improving the building’s resilience to water, one of the greatest threats to its long-term survival.
New windows were carefully installed in the New Generator Shed (the shop), improving insulation and reducing vulnerability to the elements while preserving the building’s historic character. Each installation required precision, balancing modern performance with conservation principles.
Following this, the exterior walls of the New Gen Shed (shop) were re-felted. This was a major piece of work, involving the removal of degraded materials and the careful application of new protective layers. Completing this after the windows were installed ensured the building envelope was properly sealed, a crucial step in preventing water ingress and extending the life of the structure.
Alongside this, detailed rainwater management improvements were carried out across the site, the kind of quiet, behind-the-scenes work that plays a critical role in protecting the building year after year.
Improving the visitor experience
Conservation at Port Lockroy is not only about protecting buildings, it is also about helping people connect with their history.
This season saw the installation of new interpretation signage throughout Bransfield House, focusing on the historic stories and features of the site. These updates enhance the visitor experience, offering clearer insight into the building’s past and the lives of those who worked there, while ensuring interpretation remains sensitive to the historic setting.
Elsewhere on the island, conservation efforts continued. The historic Boatshed was carefully repainted and restored, protecting it from the effects of the harsh Antarctic environment.
The impact of your support
Every one of these tasks, from installing a single window to refelting an entire wall, from protecting infrastructure to improving interpretation, is made possible by the generosity of supporters.
Conservation in Antarctica is uniquely challenging. Materials must be shipped thousands of miles, the working season is short, and every intervention must be carefully planned to protect the site’s historic integrity.
But because of you, this work continues. Your support helps ensure that Port Lockroy remains both protected and accessible, a place where people can experience Antarctica’s human history first-hand, and where that history is safeguarded for the future.
Looking ahead
As the season draws to a close, the work carried out by Jo, Dan and the team will carry Port Lockroy through another Antarctic winter.
Stronger, better protected and more resilient, the site is ready to withstand the months ahead and to welcome future visitors with an even richer understanding of its story.
If you love a place, protect it
UKAHT is committed to making Antarctica, its heritage and its stories accessible to everyone.
Eighty years in Antarctica have left their mark on this beloved site. Now, Port Lockroy urgently needs restoration to protect its future. Please donate today.
Adopt a penguin
follow a unique colony at the end of the world
Your adoption directly supports on-site colony monitoring and conservation at Port Lockroy. Funds go directly to paying for a wildlife monitor to travel to Antarctica and study the penguin colony at Port Lockroy for the austral summer.
