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Summary

A roughly circular earthwork mound, visible on aerial photographs taken between 1946 and 1986, may be a gun base for a Second World War anti-aircraft battery. A second base may be visible as a flat structure to the north-east. There are a number of remains of concrete bases at the end of the headland, one of which is now used to site a telescope but which probably originated as an anti-aircraft gun base.

Summary from record MDV123979:
The site of an anti-aircraft gun battery

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017322: Berry Head Fort and battery and Hardy's Head Battery

Other References/Statuses

• Tide Project: 02/09/2022
• Torbay HER: MTO60072

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ANTI AIRCRAFT GUN POST? (Constructed, World War II - 1939 AD (Between) to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FS 3208-3209 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351061.

A roughly circular earthwork mound is visible.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, DAP/HQ, DAP/HQ13 23-DEC-1986 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337326.

A roughly circular earthwork mound is visible, to the south-west of a smaller circular pale area.

Pye, A.R., 1989, Berry Head Fort, Brixham. An Archaeological Assessment, 13, 25 (Report - Assessment). SDV362497.

There were anti-aircraft guns at the point during the Second World War including an American Bofors gun.

Pye, A.R. & Slater, W.D., 1990, Berry Head Fort, Brixham, An Archaeological Survey, 8, 15, 21, Fig. 12 (Report - Survey). SDV362493.

During World War Two there appears to have been at least one American anti-aircraft gun sited here. At the south-east corner are the concrete settings (some with protruding iron bolts) of an anti-aircraft gun. There are the possible remains of another to the north.

Fiorato, V.J., 1999, Anti-aircraft gun battery, Berry Head (Site Visit). SDV362262.

There are a number of remains of concrete bases at the end of the headland, many of which have metal fixings. The two most obvious are at SX 94703 56557 and SX 94707 56541. The former concrete base is now used to site the headland viewing telescope but probably originated as an anti-aircraft gun base. The latter consists of a smaller concrete base, out of which a circular area has been removed.

Fiorato, V.J., 1999, Gun base remains at the end of Berry Head, Brixham, T82 (Ground Photograph). SDV362263.

There are a number of remains of concrete bases at the end of the headland. The two most obvious are at SX 94703 56557 and SX 94707 56541.

Channel Coast Observatory, 2001-2012, Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography, Channel Coastal Observatory SX9456_20120918ortho.ecw 18-SEP-2012 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351226.

A small circular mark, possibly a flat structure, is visible.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

A roughly circular earthwork mound is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946 which may have been a gun base. The earthwork is not clearly visible on later available aerial photographs and interpretation is tentative. A pale mark 2.5 metres wide 20 metres to the north at circa SX9470756563 is visible on the same aerial photographs and in 2012; this may be the concrete base of the second gun emplacement.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV337326	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1986. DAP/HQ. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP/HQ13 23-DEC-1986.
SDV351061	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1890. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FS 3208-3209 10-DEC-1946. [Mapped feature: #64893 ]
SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV351226	Aerial Photograph: Channel Coast Observatory. 2001-2012. Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography. Channel Coast Observatory. Digital. Channel Coastal Observatory SX9456_20120918ortho.ecw 18-SEP-2012.
SDV362262	Site Visit: Fiorato, V.J.. 1999. Anti-aircraft gun battery, Berry Head. Worksheet.
SDV362263	Ground Photograph: Fiorato, V.J.. 1999. Gun base remains at the end of Berry Head, Brixham. World War II sites in Torbay. 01 Nov 1999. Slide. T82.
SDV362493	Report - Survey: Pye, A.R. & Slater, W.D.. 1990. Berry Head Fort, Brixham, An Archaeological Survey. Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit Report. EMAFU 90.10. Hardcopy + Digital. 8, 15, 21, Fig. 12.
	Linked documents:1
SDV362497	Report - Assessment: Pye, A.R.. 1989. Berry Head Fort, Brixham. An Archaeological Assessment. Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit. EMAFU 89.04. Hardcopy + Digital. 13, 25.
	Linked documents:1

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6127 - Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme (NMP) for South-West England - South Coast Devon (Ref: ACD618)
• EDV7779 - World War II sites in Torbay
• EDV7797 - Architectural Survey by DA Buildings Section 1988
• EDV7832 - Documentary research on the Berry Head Fort
• EDV7834 - Archaeological Assessment of the Berry Head Forts
• EDV7835 - Archaeological Survey of the Berry Head Forts

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