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HER Number: | 7456 |
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Name: | BLOCK HOUSE POINT - Post Medieval blockhouse |
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Summary
Remains of a blockhouse with overall dimensions of 13m by 11m.
Protected Status
- Scheduled Monument 15400: TWO ENTRANCE GRAVES, A PREHISTORIC FIELD SYSTEM, AND CIVIL WAR FIELDWORKS AND BLOCKHOUSE ON INNISIDGEN HILL AND HELVEAR DOWN, ST MARY'S
Other References/Statuses
- National Monuments Record: SV 91 SW 66
- National Record of the Historic Environment to Historic Environment Records data transfer
- National Record of the Historic Environment: 304140
- OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SV91SW 66
- Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 7456
- SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SV91SW 4
Monument Type(s):
- BLOCKHOUSE (16th Century to 17th Century - 1550 AD to 1700 AD)
Full description
The ruins of a probable Post Medieval Blockhouse on Blockhouse Point, near Innisidgen, St Mary's.
A Blockhouse 'called helvere and Allines howse' is referenced in a declaration of payments concerning ordnance made by John Graynefield, dating to 1554, probably references the ruin at this location (1). It is then also reference by Troutbeck in 1794 (2), who describes how 'under Helveor Hill, upon a promontory about a furlong N. from Water-mill Bay, are fome ruins now called the Block Houfe'. The blockhouse appears on the 1908 OS map (3) and the 1963 OS map (4).
O'Neil says this blockhouse may date to around 1639 (5).
The site was visited in 1975 (6). There are the remains of a blockhouse on a promontory, now overgrown with bracken and grass. The breastwork here is 2ft to 3ft high with the central bank of the blockhouse being 6ft high and 15ft long.
In 1978 the OS field worker (7) described the remains as consisting of three sides of a rectangular building, the fourth side apparently destroyed, with overall dimensions of 13m by 11m. The walls are of drystone now covered by earth, 1.0m thick by 0.8m high on the interior, 0.9m high on the exterior. The interior was obviously originally levelled. Although incorporated in the Civil War breastworks (7455) by a funnelled approach and probably utilised in that period, the blockhouse uses large blocks of roughly dressed stone similar to the C16 blockhouse on Tresco (7365).
The site was visited in 1988 (8) when the dimensions and construction of the blockhouse were found to be at variance with the OS description, to an extent which cannot be attributed to robbing of the site in the last ten years. The internal dimensions were 6.0m north west - south east and 5.3m north east - south west. Its three remaining walls were banks covered in turf but apparently of earth and stone; the only visible stones being average 0.5m long, 0.1m high and 0.2m wide, possibly facing stones. The banks averaged 1.0m wide, though spread in places to 1.5m; their height was as recorded by the OS fieldworker. The entrance was presumably through the south east wall, now destroyed. There was a disused rabbit burrow in the north east bank, and some signs of past robbing as well as a natural tumble of stones.
The site was revisted in 2008-10 (9, 10, 11). The structure was too overgrown to measure, however it appeared smaller than the measurements recorded by the OS. Three walls were still standing.
The monument was included in the Schedule on 1/4/1994 and the scheduling was amended on 7/10/1976.
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Site history:
1: 1975. REES, S/IAM
2: 1978. JGB/OS
3: 1988. PARKES, C /CAU
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<1> Miles, TJ and Saunders, AD, 1970, King Charles’s Castle, Tresco, Scilly, 3-4 (Article in Journal). SCO8073.
<2> Troutbeck, J, 1796, Survey of the Ancient and Present State of the Scilly Islands, 98 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4965.
<3> Ordnance Survey, 1900s, 2nd Edition 1:2500 Map, Cornwall LXXXVII.7 (Cartographic materials). SCO4050.
<4> Ordnance Survey, 1970s, 1:10,000 OS Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4045.
<5> O'Neil, BH St J, 1961, Isles of Scilly MOW Guide, 29 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4042.
<6> Field Investigator's Comments, IAM/Rees, S 1975 (Survey). SCO29739.
<7> Field Investigator's Comments, OS/Barton, JG 1978 (Survey). SCO29739.
<8> Field Investigator's Comments, CAU/ Parkes, C 1988 (Survey). SCO29739.
<9> Field Investigator's Comments, HE/Bowden, M 2008-10 (Survey). SCO29739.
<10> Bowden, M, 2011, Isles of Scilly Military Defences, 1540-1951: Earthwork Sites and Minor Features, 30 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO25530.
<11> Bowden, M and Brodie, A, 2011, Defending Scilly (Bibliographic reference). SCO29932.
Sources / Further Reading
[1] | SCO8073 - Article in Journal: Miles, TJ and Saunders, AD. 1970. King Charles’s Castle, Tresco, Scilly. Post Medieval Archaeology. 4. 3-4. |
[2] | SCO4965 - Bibliographic reference: Troutbeck, J. 1796. Survey of the Ancient and Present State of the Scilly Islands. 98. |
[3] | SCO4050 - Cartographic materials: Ordnance Survey. 1900s. 2nd Edition 1:2500 Map. Cornwall LXXXVII.7. |
[4] | SCO4045 - Cartographic materials: Ordnance Survey. 1970s. 1:10,000 OS Map. |
[5] | SCO4042 - Bibliographic reference: O'Neil, BH St J. 1961. Isles of Scilly MOW Guide. 29. |
[6] | SCO29739 - Survey: Field Investigator's Comments. IAM/Rees, S 1975. |
[7] | SCO29739 - Survey: Field Investigator's Comments. OS/Barton, JG 1978. |
[8] | SCO29739 - Survey: Field Investigator's Comments. CAU/ Parkes, C 1988. |
[9] | SCO29739 - Survey: Field Investigator's Comments. HE/Bowden, M 2008-10. |
[10] | SCO25530 - Cornwall Event Report: Bowden, M. 2011. Isles of Scilly Military Defences, 1540-1951: Earthwork Sites and Minor Features. 30. |
[11] | SCO29932 - Bibliographic reference: Bowden, M and Brodie, A. 2011. Defending Scilly. |
Associated Finds: none recorded
Associated Events
- ECO1300 - Isles of Scilly: Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment, 2003
Related records
7455 | Related to: INNISIDGEN HILL - Post Medieval breastwork (Monument) |
7454 | Related to: INNISIDGEN HILL - Post Medieval siegework (Monument) |
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