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@oat44
Ok, call me a massive geek if you may, but this one got me curious, I went down there today to find out more.
The mechanics of the bell intrigued me. I have since seen that the gate is also referred to as a 'micro hydro turbine' and this kind of makes more sense. You can see there's a single wire linking the bell to a wooden box next to the left hand gate. Housed in the box is a little bit like a giant toilet float. I imagine there's also some kind of dynamo inside whereby as the tide forces the float to rise, the energy is harnessed, converted to electric current, which then powers the bell. It theoretically would ring every time the tide comes in and out.
It seems the bell and the carvings were an art project called DELTA by a group called Platform in 1993 info
Looking at the right hand gate, I don't think it can open any more now that the bell has been installed, as the bell is in the way of the rotating screw axle of the gate, odd though.
anyway enough, happy to be proven wrong, but that's my interpretation..
Completely stumped on the gatehouse.