HRH The Duke of Gloucester came to town to open the Heugh Gun Battery, on the Headland and Hartfields, an extra-care retirement village, at Middle Warren.

The Queen's cousin spent an hour looking round the historic battery, which has recently reopened following a major refurbishment.

He was shown the Quarter Guard of the 5th Regiment Royal Artillery, the barrack room and the command post tower.

The Duke also got the chance to fire a First World War gun with the help of members of the Hartlepool branch of the Royal Artillery Association.

The battery, which defended the town against the German sea bombardment in 1914, underwent the restoration to recreate how it looked during the First and Second World Wars.

Key features, which had fallen into disrepair, have been restored and new facilities added including toilets, a cafe, class rooms and an exhibition centre.

An impressed Duke of Gloucester paid tribute to the Heugh Gun Battery Trust, which was formed in 2000 with the aim of bringing the battery back to its former glory.

He said: "It is a great pleasure to come to Hartlepool and witness first hand the history of the battery and what made this place work.

"The battery has been used and abused and abandoned until a band of believers decided it shouldn't be allowed to go to ruin.

"I must congratulate all those that have put a tremendous amount of effort into the restoration."

Children from St Bega's and St Helen's primary schools presented the Duke with an engraved shell casing once he had unveiled a plaque and signed the visitors book.

John Southcott, chair of the trust, said: "We felt very honoured that the Duke officially opened the site. The battery can be one of the jewels in the crown of visitor attractions in Hartlepool, alongside the marina development and the Maritime Experience.

"The Duke was incredibly interested in what we are doing here and he was very knowledgable about coastal fortification."

The royal visitor then went to the Hartfields development, which consists of 242 houses, for a tour and the chance to meet residents.

Hartfields is the result of a partnership between the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, Hartlepool Borough Council, Hartlepool Primary Care Trust and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust.

John Kennedy, director of care services for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: "We are delighted that the Duke visited Hartfields to see for himself just how extraordinary the facilityis.

"The concept enables older people to live in their own homes, in a socially stimulating environment, with support available if they need it."