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Summary

A five-sided battery with south west salient angle, consisting of a platform behind stone wall associated with the mid-C18 walls around the southern half of the Garrison.

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): 7906.27
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SV80NE 1

Monument Type(s):

• BATTERY (18th Century - 1701 AD to 1800 AD)

Full description

WOOLPACK POINT BATTERY - Post Medieval battery

A five-sided battery with south west salient angle, consisting of a platform behind stone wall associated with the mid-C18 walls around the southern half of the Garrison (7906.18) is situated at its tip, just inland of the earlier Woolpack Platform (7904.15). In its south western corner is a WW2 pill box (7909.07). The site is Scheduled (h1). The battery at Woolpack Point indicated on a 1741 map is the early platform (b1). A 1742 proposal shows an angular battery of different plan on the site (b2). The plan adopted is shown on a 1746 map; it may not have been completed at this time, the source referring to the walls as "the line proposed" (b3). It is recorded on Tovey's 1750 plan (b4). Heath's 1750 account refers to "… a most powerful battery near the Woolpack Rock …" (b5). On his map he names it 'Cumberland battery'; which may indicate his desire to dedicate a battery, like his book, to William Duke of Cumberland rather than popular usage (b13). Troutbeck's 1796 survey records eleven 9-pdrs here, and a magazine on the east side (b6). No internal structures are shown in 1834 (b7). The battery is recorded as dismantled on the 1888 OS map and not named on the 1907 OS map (b8, b9). Thomas suggests that the name of the battery, point and off-shore rock derives from a resemblance or association of the rocks to a wool-bale (b11). Carpenter notes that two 32-pdr guns from a 1798 wreck have been here since the mid-C19; two 9-pdrs being added in 1992 (b12). The 1978 OS fieldworker describes the walls as 2.0m thick by 2.7m high externally and 1.8m high internally (h2). The site was visited in 1984 when remains of a small building in the north east corner were found (h3) and in 1988 (h4). In 1990 the quality of stonework was noted and features recorded (h5). The central rear entrance resembles an archway at the rocket house (7901.03). The thirteen embrasures have paved gun platforms except for that reused for the pill box (7909.07); the eight drains have no external spouts. The north east corner building, formerly plastered and slate roofed, may have been completed after the battery's rear wall. A 1991 survey (h6) records the gun platforms in plan. The monument is included in the Schedule.
(b13) - Parkes, C, 1994, Pers Comm, ,

Prior to the 1994 revision of the Garrison defences SMR, this site was recorded under PRN 7423.24 (b13).

Described in 1995 (14): A pentagonal battery enclosing an area c 38m by 32m with walling 2.7m thick and a parapet internally 1.8m high and externally 3.3m high. The walls are faced by very neatly dressed large ashlar slabs in courses c. 0.3m to 0.4m high. The northern sector of the ESE flanking wall incorporates the small-slab ashlar walls of a former rectangular building measuring 4.2m by 2m internally. The central formal arch in the rear battery wall resembles that in the Rocket House refurbished by Tovey. This rear wall in 0.9m thick and rises to 1.9 m high.

Described in 2005 (15): The battery has a high internal wall faced with coursed and squared precisely cut blocks. The north walls of the battery appear to butt the rear wall. This high narrow wall is of semi-coursed ashlar and rubble, the impressive central arched entrance is constructed of large blocks and looks inserted The top few courses are of similar blocks are certainly added. Externally the wall facing is of precisely cut squared blocks with no surviving pointing and no stone spouts. The outline of a small rectangular building is visible in the NE corner of the battery and the line of its slate sloping roof is preserved in the north wall. There are thirteen embrasures (including one adapted for the pillbox which is built into the apex of the battery) and twelve either complete or part complete paved gun platforms. Two 32 pounder 'sea service' guns of late 18th century date stand guard. The granite blocks at the apex are larger and of a different shape to their immediate neighbours indicating that it was associated with a separate constructional period. Whether this is linked to the insertion of the Second World War pillbox within the apex is not clear.

See also (16, 17).
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Site history:
1: 1958. SAUNDERS, A/IAM
2: 1978. NJA/OS
3: 1984. UNKNOWN/MSC - ICS
4: 1988. WATERS, A/CAU
5: 1990. JOHNSON, N/CAU
6: 1991. UNKNOWN/EH
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National Monument Record, Defending the Isles of Scilly (Survey). SCO29941.

Reconstruction: Woolpack Battery, c. 1740 (Graphic material). SCO30381.

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

<1> UNKNOWN, 1741, A PLAN OF HUGH GARRISON IN ST MARY'S ISLAND AT SCILLY (Unedited Source). SCO5540.

<2> UNKNOWN, 1742, A PLAN OF HUGH FORT ALIAS THE STAR CASTLE (Unedited Source). SCO5544.

<3> UNKNOWN, 1746, A PLAN OF HUGH FORT, I, 1810 (Unedited Source). SCO5551.

<4> Tovey, A, 1750, A Plan of the Peninsula and Fortifications on St Mary's (Bibliographic reference). SCO4950.

<5> Heath, R, 1750, A Natural and Historical Account of the Islands of Scilly, OPP 1, 75 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3486.

<6> Troutbeck, J, 1796, Survey of the Ancient and Present State of the Scilly Islands, 45 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4965.

<7> Birch, JF, 1974, Plan of the Garrison on the Island of Saint Mary, Scilly (Bibliographic reference). SCO2851.

<8> Ordnance Survey, 1880s, 1st Edition 1:2500 Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4048.

<9> Ordnance Survey, 1900s, 2nd Edition 1:2500 Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4050.

<10> O'Neil, BH St J, 1961, Isles of Scilly MOW Guide (Bibliographic reference). SCO4042.

<11> THOMAS, AC, 1989, THE NAMES OF THE BATTERIES ON THE GARRISON, ST MARY'S, ISLES IF SCILLY (Unedited Source). SCO8924.

<12> Carpenter, AC, 1984, The Cannon of Pendennis and St. Mawes Castles, Cornwall, 29 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5087.

<14> Field Investigator's Comments, MPPA/Hooley, D. 1995. (Survey). SCO29739.

<15> Field Investigator's Comments, EH/Fletcher, M. 2005. (Survey). SCO29739.

<16> Brodie, A, 2011, The Garrison, St Mary's Isles of Scilly: The Defences of the Garrison 1500-1945 - survey report, 33-47, fig. 31 (Bibliographic reference). SCO24047.

<17> Bowden, M and Brodie, A, 2011, Defending Scilly, 34-50 (Bibliographic reference). SCO29932.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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