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Summary

A granite curtain wall south of the neck of Porthcressa was built between 1715 and 1742.

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

• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 7906.15
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SV91SW 31

Monument Type(s):

• CURTAIN WALL (18th Century - 1701 AD to 1800 AD)

Full description

The coast of the Garrison south of the neck of Porthcressa is defended by a granite curtain wall between Upper Benham battery (7906.17), incorporating Upper Broom battery (7906.16) - these two latter themselves rebuilt in the C18, just inland of their former sites (7904.01, 7904.02) - possibly of Elizabethan origin, rebuilt between 1715 and 1741. The site is a Listed Building, Grade I and is Scheduled (h1). A map of 1655 shows parallel lines along this section of the defences resembling the wall and external ditch across the Garrison neck (7906.04) and contrasting with the dotted line indicating breastworks around the rest of the peninsula (7904), suggesting it is contemporary in origin with the former (b1). In a 1669 print, substantial walling across the neck is flanked by a fortification running south towards Lower Broom (b2). This is apparently a lesser or simply more distant wall; but possibly an earthwork, as a similar one is shown running NW from the northern end of the neck, where no early wall is known (b10). Lilley's report on Scilly's defences prior to the great C18 works states that the whole Hugh was fortified but only the part facing the isthmus was strongly built, "...all the rest of it being only slight intrenchments..." (b3). The newly built or rebuilt wall as far as Lower Broom appears on the 1741 map (b4). The 1978 OS fieldworker states that the curtain here was built between 1715 and 1742 (h2). In 1990 the absence of embrasures, and of drainage holes excepting one between Upper Benham and Upper Broom batteries, was noted (h4). The site was visited in 1988 and 1993 (h3, h6) and surveyed in 1991 (h5). The monument is included in the Schedule.
(b10) - Parkes, C, 1994, Pers Comm, ,

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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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<1> UNKNOWN, 1655, A MAP OF THE HEW HILL THE CHEIFFE FFORTIFICATIONS, DD GO 575 (Unedited Source). SCO5445.

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

<3> LILLY, C, 1715, REPORTS ON THE PRESENT STATE AND CONDITION OF HIS MAJESTIES FORTIFICATION (Unedited Source). SCO5505.

<4> UNKNOWN, 1741, A PLAN OF THE HUGH GARRISON IN ST MARY'S ISLAND AT SCILLY (Unedited Source). SCO5543.

<5> UNKNOWN, 1742, PLAN OF HUGH FORT ALIAS THE STAR CASTLE (Unedited Source). SCO5546.

<6> Birch, JF, 1974, Plan of the Garrison on the Island of Saint Mary, Scilly (Bibliographic reference). SCO2851.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1880s, 1st Edition 1:2500 Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4048.

<8> Ordnance Survey, 1900s, 2nd Edition 1:2500 Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4050.

<9> Ordnance Survey, 1970s, 1:10,000 OS Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4045.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO3128 - Garrison Walls, Isles of Scilly, conservation plan

Related records

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