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HER Number:18709.43
Name:PENDENNIS - C17 battery

Summary

The remains of Uptons Mount battery which was constructed as part of the civil war defence of Pendennis Castle.

Grid Reference:SW 8202 3220
Parish:Falmouth, Carrick, Cornwall
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Protected Status

  • Scheduled Monument 10552: PENDENNIS PENINSULA FORTIFICATIONS
  • Conservation Area: FALMOUTH

Other References/Statuses

  • Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 18709.43
  • SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW83SW 10

Monument Type(s):

  • BATTERY (17th Century - 1601 AD to 1700 AD)

Full description

Uptons Mount battery, at SW 8200 3228, with earthworks running from it - east to SW8205 3239, and south and east to SW 8211 3207 - were constructed in the civil war by the Royalist defenders of Pendennis Castle against Parliamentarian siege works (see PRN 18709.44). The earth works are recorded on Christian Lilly's plan of 1715 (b2). In 1985 remains of the battery were found in a small excavation, though the area has been disturbed by the installation of oil tanks and WWII trenches nearby (b2). The earthworks were found to consist of ramparts, which possibly had wattle gabions, with rock-cut ditches and parapet walls in places. Scheduled January 1993 as 10552/02.

In October 1645 a hastily built crownwork was started under Generals Hopton and Hyde but never finished. Lilly's survey of 1715 shows the incomplete crownwork as little more than a breastwork. Colonel Elis Durnford's plan of 1793 shows the old line of the crownwork, which was left intact by Fletcher, completely enclosed by a palisade running from the salient of the lunette parallel with its flanks to the sea to the east and west - presumably to demarcate the extent of the defensible land.

Part of the breastwork of Johnson's crownwork was subsequently used as the revetment to a building platform for married soldiers' quarters built in 1902. The area around the married quarters was desingated for occupation by a platoon of infantry during World War Two, and a line of zig-zag trenches was constructed between here and a lunette, used as a defence post to serve as an infantry strong post (21).

--------------------------------
Site history:
1: 1927. DRAKE, S/IAM
3: 1987. WESTON, SM/IAM
4: 1988. HARTGROVES, S/CAU
5: 1988. HARTGROVES, S/CAU
--------------------------------


<1> Hals, W, 1740, The Compleat History of Cornwall, 129 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3429.

<2> Lilly, C, 1715, An Exact Plan of Pendennis Fort (Bibliographic reference). SCO3870.

<3> Norden, J, 1728, Speculi Britanniae Pars (Bibliographic reference). SCO4001.

<4> Polwhele, R, 1803, History of Cornwall (Bibliographic reference). SCO4140.

<5> Lysons, D & S, 1814, Magna Britannia, VOL III, CORNWALL, 989, 99, 104 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3885.

<6> Hitchins, F & Drew, S (Eds), 1824, The History of Cornwall (Bibliographic reference). SCO3595.

<7> TREGONNING HOOPER, 1827, UNKNOWN TITLE, VOL I, NO 6, 7-9 (Unedited Source). SCO5851.

<8> Thomas, R, 1827, History and Description of the Town and Harbour of Falmouth, 110-113 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4698.

<9> Thomas, R, 1851, Letters to the West Briton (Article in newspaper). SCO4699.

<10> Brine, F, 1855, Shilling Trip to Falmouth (Bibliographic reference). SCO2906.

<11> Pasfield Oliver, S, 1875, Pendennis and St Mawes (Bibliographic reference). SCO4086.

<12> Beckett, R, 1961, Tercenteniary of Falmouth (Bibliographic reference). SCO2815.

<13> UNKNOWN, 1963, MOW GUIDE (Unedited Source). SCO7885.

<14> Carew, R, 1969, The Survey of Cornwall 1602 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3044.

<15> Institute Of Cornish Studies, 1987, Place-Names Index (Bibliographic reference). SCO3621.

<16> Padel, OJ, 1985, Cornish Place-Name Elements, 85, 177-180 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4064.

<17> Hartgroves, S & Sharpe, A & Roberts, C, 1985, Pendennis Castle and the Headland, Falmouth (Cornwall Event Report). SCO3459.

<18> Morley, B, 1988, The Castles of Pendennis and St Mawes (Bibliographic reference). SCO3957.

<19> Sharpe, A, 1989, Pendinas Castle (Cornwall Event Report). SCO4367.

<20> Walker, R, 1989, Pendennis Castle Resistivity Survey 1989 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5007.

<21> Linzey, R, 2000, Fortress Falmouth. An conservation plan for the historic defences of Falmouth Haven Vol II (2000), T2.2 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1563.

Sources / Further Reading

[1]SCO3429 - Bibliographic reference: Hals, W. 1740. The Compleat History of Cornwall. 129.
[2]SCO3870 - Bibliographic reference: Lilly, C. 1715. An Exact Plan of Pendennis Fort.
[3]SCO4001 - Bibliographic reference: Norden, J. 1728. Speculi Britanniae Pars.
[4]SCO4140 - Bibliographic reference: Polwhele, R. 1803. History of Cornwall.
[5]SCO3885 - Bibliographic reference: Lysons, D & S. 1814. Magna Britannia. VOL III, CORNWALL, 989, 99, 104.
[6]SCO3595 - Bibliographic reference: Hitchins, F & Drew, S (Eds). 1824. The History of Cornwall.
[7]SCO5851 - Unedited Source: TREGONNING HOOPER. 1827. UNKNOWN TITLE. J OLD CORNWALL SOC. VOL I, NO 6, 7-9.
[8]SCO4698 - Bibliographic reference: Thomas, R. 1827. History and Description of the Town and Harbour of Falmouth. 110-113.
[9]SCO4699 - Article in newspaper: Thomas, R. 1851. Letters to the West Briton. At CSL, Redruth.
[10]SCO2906 - Bibliographic reference: Brine, F. 1855. Shilling Trip to Falmouth.
[11]SCO4086 - Bibliographic reference: Pasfield Oliver, S. 1875. Pendennis and St Mawes.
[12]SCO2815 - Bibliographic reference: Beckett, R. 1961. Tercenteniary of Falmouth.
[13]SCO7885 - Unedited Source: UNKNOWN. 1963. MOW GUIDE.
[14]SCO3044 - Bibliographic reference: Carew, R. 1969. The Survey of Cornwall 1602.
[15]SCO3621 - Bibliographic reference: Institute Of Cornish Studies. 1987. Place-Names Index.
[16]SCO4064 - Bibliographic reference: Padel, OJ. 1985. Cornish Place-Name Elements. 85, 177-180.
[17]SCO3459 - Cornwall Event Report: Hartgroves, S & Sharpe, A & Roberts, C. 1985. Pendennis Castle and the Headland, Falmouth.
[18]SCO3957 - Bibliographic reference: Morley, B. 1988. The Castles of Pendennis and St Mawes.
[19]SCO4367 - Cornwall Event Report: Sharpe, A. 1989. Pendinas Castle.
[20]SCO5007 - Bibliographic reference: Walker, R. 1989. Pendennis Castle Resistivity Survey 1989.
[21]SCO1563 - Cornwall Event Report: Linzey, R. 2000. Fortress Falmouth. An conservation plan for the historic defences of Falmouth Haven Vol II (2000). T2.2.

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Related records

18709Part of: PENDENNIS - Post Medieval fort (Monument)