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Summary

A four-sided open backed platform of irregular plan, consisting of a platform behind stone walls associated with the Elizabethan curtain wall across the Garrison neck.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 15434: POST-MEDIEVAL BREASTWORK, CURTAIN WALL AND ASSOCIATED DEFENSIVE STRUCTURES ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE GARRISON, ST MARY'S
• Listed Building (I) 62521: OUTER WALLS AND GATEWAY

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SV 91 SW 308
• National Record of the Historic Environment to Historic Environment Records data transfer
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1445395
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SV91SW 30.13
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 7906.14
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SV91SW 31

Monument Type(s):

• COASTAL BATTERY (17th Century - 1601 AD to 1700 AD)

Full description

Prior to the 1994 revision of the Garrison defences SMR, this site was recorded under PRN 7423.21.
A four-sided open backed platform of irregular plan, consisting of a platform behind stone walls associated with the Elizabethan curtain wall across the Garrison neck (7906.04), is situated above the southern end of the isthmus. Access is by a sallyport (7906.08) below the south western corner of the battery above to the north west, known as Upper Benham battery (7906.13), which is linked to it by a short section of wall. The site is a Listed Building, Grade I and is Scheduled. The battery is shown on a plan of 1665, with external ditch continuing from the curtain along its northern sides, and named 'Lower Byn'; the south east corner appears to be missing, perhaps due to coastal erosion (b1). A view of 1669 depicts substantially lower walling than at Upper Benham (b2). In 1715 the name is given as Lower Benham Bastion (b3). The 1742 plan names Lower Benham Battery and shows the south east corner intact or rebuilt (b4). Tovey's 1750 plan marks it Lower Bentreim Battery (b5). Troutbeck states that the name Benham derives from a nearby quarry (7901.07), but omits the Lower Battery from his survey of fortifications (b7). An 1834 map shows it and the adjoining triangle of cliff top south to Upper Broom Battery - as the Lieutenant Governor's garden, with two small rectangular structures at SV 9010 1032 and SV 9012 1037 (b8). The 1888 and 1907 OS maps show the ditch surviving on the northern side. Thomas notes the change in use of the site by the end of the C18 suggested by the dropping of 'Upper' from the surviving battery's name (b10). The 1978 OS fieldworker describes the site as C17 with C18 restoration, with walling up to 5.0m high, and still used as a garden (h2). The site was visited in 1988 (h3) and surveyed in 1991 (h5). In 1990 embrasures were recorded on the western face (2), northern and southern faces (1) and eastern face (3) - the latter obscured inside by a garden wall against the face - though no gun platforms were visible (h4). The SE corner was damaged by coastal erosion, and a section of the east side collapsed after storms in 2004. A photographic and drawn record were made prior to the commencement of repair work and site visits were carried out during the works to record progress (b11). The monument is included in the Schedule.

See also (12, 13).

The preceding Lower Byn Battery, a 17th bastion was described in 2005 (11). It is most probably incorporated within the line of the present 18th century battery. Its faint depiction on the 1741 map suggests that it was not then included in the main defensive line although it is shown on the map of the proposed defences in 1742.

--------------------------------
Site history:
1: 1958. UNKNOWN/IAM
2: 1978. NJA/OS
3: 1988. WATERS, A/CAU
4: 1990. JOHNSON, N/CAU
5: 1991. UNKNOWN/EH
6: 1993. RATCLIFFE, J/CAU
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National Monument Record, Defending the Isles of Scilly (Survey). SCO29941.

National Monument Record, The Garrison Survey, St. Mary's, Isle of Scilly (Survey). SCO29940.

Johns, C & Sawyer, K, 2005, Lower Benham Battery The Garrison, St Mary's Isles of Scilly (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1262.

<1> UNKNOWN, 1665, A MAP OF THE HEW HILL THE CHEIFFE FFORTIFICATIONS, DD GO 575 (Unedited Source). SCO5453.

<2> Bowley, RL (Ed), 1980, The Fortunate Islands, 53 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5086.

<3> Lilly, C, 1715, A Plan of the Hugh (Unpublished document). SCO3869.

<4> UNKNOWN, 1742, A PLAN OF HUGH FORT ALIAS THE STAR CASTLE (Unedited Source). SCO5544.

<5> Tovey, A, 1750, A Plan of the Peninsula and Fortifications on St Mary's (Bibliographic reference). SCO4950.

<6> Heath, R, 1750, A Natural and Historical Account of the Islands of Scilly (Bibliographic reference). SCO3486.

<7> Troutbeck, J, 1796, Survey of the Ancient and Present State of the Scilly Islands (Bibliographic reference). SCO4965.

<8> Birch, JF, 1974, Plan of the Garrison on the Island of Saint Mary, Scilly (Bibliographic reference). SCO2851.

<9> North, IW, 1850, A Week in the Isles of Scilly (Bibliographic reference). SCO4004.

<10> THOMAS, AC, 1989, THE NAMES OF THE BATTERIES ON THE GARRISON, ST MARY'S, ISLES IF SCILLY (Unedited Source). SCO8924.

<11> Field Investigator's Comments, EH/Fletcher, M. 2005. (Survey). SCO29739.

<12> Bowden, M and Brodie, A, 2011, Defending Scilly, 77 (Bibliographic reference). SCO29932.

<13> Brodie, A, 2011, The Garrison, St Mary's Isles of Scilly: The Defences of the Garrison 1500-1945 - survey report, Fig. 22 (Bibliographic reference). SCO24047.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO1504 - Lower Benham Battery, St Marys: Maintenance, 2005 (Ref: 2005022)
• ECO3128 - Garrison Walls, Isles of Scilly, conservation plan
• ECO6309 - The Garrison, St. Mary's: Survey
• ECO3819 - Isles of Scilly Military Defences, 1540-1951 (Ref: RDRS 56-2011)

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