More information : Harbour chain defence SX 88875050.
" The chain across the river was fixed to the cliff near Gommerock where there is a hole in the rock for fixing the chain" (1). The site consists of a vertical rock face about 6m high, cut back to create a rectangular level area measuring 5m by 9m at its base. This rock face has three horizontal lines of square sockets, presumably to take joists for a timber structure. At the foot is a rectanglar socket measuring 0.95m square and 0.45m deep. It is the hole refered to by 1. The site was apparently where the harbour chain was anchored and it was presumably either defended or concealed. (2)
The remains described above (by source 2) are either a structure associated with Gommerock (SX 85 SE 10) or with the harbour chain. The fixing point for the chain is not as described by 1 and 2, but was identified recently at SX 88856 50494, and consists of a 0.2 m wide gulley cut into the rocks at 2 m above OD. The gulley was presumably intended to accomodate a loop of the harbour chain, thus acting as a natural bollard.
A 1:500 survey of this site and of Gommerock have been carried out by RCHME, with more detailed recording by Exeter Archaeology. A level three report and the 1:500 survey have been archived in the NMR. (3) |