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Summary

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

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SV 91 SW 309
• National Monuments Record: SV 91 SW 310
• National Record of the Historic Environment to Historic Environment Records data transfer
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1445437
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1445441
• NBR Index Number: 111235
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SV91SW 30.12
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 7906.13
• 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 as PRN 7423.20 (b14).
A five-sided battery of irregular plan, consisting of a platform behind stone walls associated with the Elizabethan curtain wall across the Garrison neck (7906.04), is situated on the south side of the isthmus. In its SE corner is a WW2 pill box (7909.05). The battery below to the SE - with access through a sallyport (7906.08) under the SW corner of Upper Benham - is known as Lower Benham battery (7906.14). The site is a Listed Building, Grade I and is Scheduled (h1). A 1655 map shows the battery in plan, with an external ditch, and names it 'Bynham' (b1). A building indicated by a 1669 print may be within the southern half of the battery, or outside it (b2). The site is named Upper Benham Bastion in 1715 (b3). A rectangular building stands on the platform south of centre on the 1742 plan (b4). Tovey's 1750 plan names the battery Higher Bentreim (b5). Troutbeck states that the name Benham derives from a nearby quarry (1907.07), and records four 4-pounders herein 1793 (b7). Benhams battery is shown on the 1834 map (b8). The 1988 and 1907 OS show the ditch surviving on the north side (b10, b11). Thomas notes the disuse of Lower Benham battery by the end of the C18, suggested by the dropping of upper from the site name (b12). Carpenter notes a cast iron 18-pounder mounted here (b13); two early 1800s guns also listed and described in a photo caption as being here are in fact at King George's battery (b13). The 1978 OS fieldworker notes walling up to 6.0m high, C17 with C18 restoration (h2). The site was visited in 1988 (h3) and surveyed in 1991 (h5). In 1990 it was found to be originally open backed; four paved platforms for guns firing north (1), east (1) and south (1) over the walls were recorded the north and south platforms having a drainage hole while two holes on the east side do not open from the platforms (h4). In 1993 the walling was found to be of Elizabethan character (h6). The monument is included in the Schedule.

The site was visited in 1995 (12): The quarry noted by Troutbeck is not apparent on any of the early plans neither is one tenable on the opposite side of the road where various built structures have been sited since at least the early 18th century. Thomas suggests that it may be the large levelled platform on which the Trinity Cottages are built. No other candidates are evident today.

The site was visited in 2005 (13): The battery is well preserved and well maintained. There are four gun platforms of granite paving, one canon mounted on a wooden gun carriage stands guard. The above ground cement-rendered Second World War pillbox which is built into the east corner of the battery is in good order. The interior is under close cut grass.

--------------------------------
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, 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> Carpenter, AC, 1984, The Cannon of Pendennis and St. Mawes Castles, Cornwall, 7, 63 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5087.

<12> Field Investigator's Comments, MPPA/Hooley, D. 1995. (Survey). SCO29739.

<13> Field Investigator's Comments, EH/Fletcher, M. 2005. (Survey). SCO29739.

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

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