Cornwall’s MPs unite behind £3.6m bid to save Bodmin Keep

Five names from across Cornwall’s political divide have put their signatures to the same page this week, all asking for the same thing: money to stop one of the county’s oldest military buildings falling further into disrepair.

The letter, and what it asks for

The joint letter, dated 25 August, is addressed to Luke Pollard MP, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, and signed by Ben Maguire, MP for North Cornwall, alongside Perran Moon, Noah Law, Andrew George and Cornwall Council leader Leigh Frost. It sets out a request for £3.6 million from the Ministry of Defence to secure the future of Bodmin Keep, Cornwall’s Army Museum, and reopen its doors to the public.

📷Credit: Ben Maguire MP

Of that figure, £1 million is earmarked for urgent structural works. The remaining £2.6 million, the letter explains, would provide essential match funding to unlock further investment from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other organisations, forming part of a wider programme to restore, renew and upgrade the museum.

Why the MPs say it matters

The letter leans heavily on Bodmin Keep’s place in Cornish military history. It describes the Keep’s collection and its links to the county’s military communities as being of vital importance, and argues that funding the works would also help reduce future liabilities associated with the Army estate, something the MPs suggest should appeal to the MOD as much as to Cornwall.

Ben Maguire, who has been working with the Keep for some time to help get its doors reopened, posted an update on the letter to his constituents. “The Keep’s collection, its history, and its connection to Cornwall’s proud military community are of absolutely vital importance,” he wrote, adding that he was “very pleased that colleagues from across Parliament have joined my call.”

The letter itself puts it plainly: “We cannot stress how important and unique Bodmin Keep is, and we write united, across party lines, recognising the enormous value it brings to the Duchy.”

A joint push from across the county

What stands out is the spread of names on the letter. Perran Moon sits for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, Noah Law for St Austell and Newquay, and Andrew George for St Ives, each putting their name to a request that began with Ben Maguire. Leigh Frost adds the weight of Cornwall Council’s leadership to it. The letter asks the minister to give the funding bid his fullest consideration and to support the wider fundraising programme, and says the group looks forward to hearing back.