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Summary

Admiralty flag signal station in use during the Napoleonic wars. A building is shown in this location on the 19th century Tithe Map, and a coastguard station is labelled in this location on both the First and Second Edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey maps. Now a dwelling.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY28NW/3
• Tide Project: 15/04/2020

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SIGNAL STATION (XVIII to XXI - 1701 AD to 2009 AD)
• COASTGUARD STATION (XIX - 1803 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• BUNGALOW (Edwardian to XXI - 1904 AD (Between) to 2015 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Maps and Apportionments (Website). SDV349463.

Plot 1229 is recorded as 'Preventive Service House' within the Tithe Apportionment.

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

A building is illustrated within plot 1229 on the Tithe Map.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

A building is shown and labelled as a 'Coastguard Station.'

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

A building is shown and labelled as a 'Coastguard Station.'

Ordnance Survey, 1906, 83SW (Cartographic). SDV335974.

NGC given by Russell is SY226880, which is approx NG of (?) later coastguard lookout. Coastguard station marked on 1906 6 inch Ordnance Survey map, with buildings at SY21938817 and Semaphore at SY21968815.

Russell, P., 1955, Fire Beacons in Devon (Article in Serial). SDV336138.

Admiralty flag signal station at Beer Head in use during the Napoleonic Wars. Set up in 1773.

Wood, E., 1979, Untitled Source (Monograph). SDV336139.

A square building, now a dwelling, is of the right shape for a signal station as is shown as 'Semaphore' on the Ordnance Survey 6 inch map revision of 1913.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, DAP/GC, 12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV57556.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, DAP/GD, 1-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336141.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, DAP/HF, 12, 13 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336110.

Kitchen, F., 1990, The Napoleonic War Coast Signal Stations, 341 (Article in Serial). SDV145464.

Built in 1796 at a cost of £190/14/10.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2789 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Possibly survives as house.
SMR.

Pink, F., 2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV357736.

A building is illustrated within plot 1229 on the Seaton and Beer Tithe Map of 1840, and is recorded within the accompanying Tithe Apportionment as 'Preventive Service House.' A track is also shown leading from this building towards the north-east where it joins with a road. A building is shown in this location on both the First and Second Edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey maps where it is labelled as a 'Coastguard Station' although the layout of the building appears to have changed since the Tithe Map. A building is also present in this location on the Ordnance Survey Master Map, but it is now labelled as 'Cliff Top Bungalow.'

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

A building is shown and labelled as 'Cliff Top Bungalow.'

Horner, B., 2022, Archaeological observation, 11-FEB-2022 (Personal Comment). SDV364743.

The OS Surveyors draft of 1803 records the Napoleonic era Admiralty flag signal station on Southdown Common.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV145464	Article in Serial: Kitchen, F.. 1990. The Napoleonic War Coast Signal Stations. The Mariner's Mirror. 76. Unknown. 341.
SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV335974	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1906. 83SW. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch Map. Map (Paper).
SDV336110	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1986. DAP/HF. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 12, 13.
SDV336138	Article in Serial: Russell, P.. 1955. Fire Beacons in Devon. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 87. A5 Hardback.
SDV336139	Monograph: Wood, E.. 1979. Collins Field Guide to Archaeology. Unknown.
SDV336141	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1986. DAP/GD. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 1-2.
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital.
SDV349463	Website: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Maps and Apportionments. http://devon.gov.uk. Website.
SDV351568	Archive - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003-2004. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. Digital + Mixed Archive Material. Site No. 2789.
SDV357601	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2015. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.
SDV357736	Interpretation: Pink, F.. 2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment. AC Archaeology Report. ACD618/4/3. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV364743	Personal Comment: Horner, B.. 2022. Archaeological observation. Email. 11-FEB-2022.
SDV57556	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1986. DAP/GC. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 12.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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