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Summary

The southern of two forts built on Berry Head in 1795-1807. Three were originally planned but only two were built, the other being No. 3. The No. 1 fort was protected by cliffs on south and east, had a wall and moat on north and a rampart similar to that of the No 3 fort on west. There were two batteries on the seaward side and the locations of a number of military buildings within the fort are known. Substantial structural and earthwork remains survive and are visible on aerial photographs from the 1940s to 2012.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021430: The Old Redoubt and later Victorian Rifle Range Target, 540m south west of Berry Head Fort
• Listed Building (II*) 1293272: RAMPARTS, COUNTERSCARP REVETMENT, GLACIS, MUSKETRY WALL OF SOUTHERN FORT
• Listed Building (II) 1195203: RUINED MAGAZINE AND BLAST WALL 1.8 METRES WEST OF GUARDHOUSE, SOUTHERN FORT
• Scheduled Monument 1021430: The Old Redoubt, 540m southwset of Berry Head Fort

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 447532
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX95NW/16
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX95NW36
• Tide Project: 28/10/2020
• Torbay HER: MTO20083

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ARTILLERY FORT (Built, XVIII to XIX - 1795 AD (Between) to 1802 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Office and War Office, 1801-1811, Ordnance Office and War Office: Miscellaneous entry books and papers. Engineer papers. Plymouth district, WO 55 797 (Record Office Collection). SDV317543.

Ordnance Office and War Office, 1830-1848, Ordnance Office and War Office: Correspondence. Berry Head, WO 44/12 (Record Office Collection). SDV317541.

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

Fort depicted with surviving internal buildings. Marked as 'Old Redoubt'.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FS 3209-3210 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351061.

The ramparts, moat and many of the internal features are clearly visible as structures and earthworks. Map object partly based on this source.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 349-50 (Monograph). SDV17562.

County Borough of Torbay, 1967, Berry Head (Monograph). SDV362520.

One of two forts built on Berry Head in 1803-1805. Three were originally planned but only two were built. They were dismantled in the 1920s. Fort No. 1 was protected by cliffs on the south and east, had a wall and moat on the north and a rampart similar to the No. 3 fort on the west. There were two batteries on the seaward side and the locations of a number of military buildings within the fort are known. Following the dismantling of the fort in the 1820s, the interior was levelled to form a parade ground for volunteers. The positions of the buildings were established by excavations by Brixham Museum in 1959-60.

Hawkins, M.R., 1973, Berry Head Management Plan, Zone F (Report - Interim). SDV362518.

A parade ground levelled much of the interior of the fort for use in the 1860s by the Devon Artillery Volunteers.

Cambridge University, 1973, K17-AD (Aerial Photograph). SDV354635.

Department of Environment, 1975, Borough of Torbay, 3 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV362418.

The south-east redoubt is three-sided with a stone revetment and roll moulded string below the embrasures. It was established during the Napoleonic Wars and now largely overgrown.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX95NW36 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV317570.

The souh-east redoubt is three-sided with a stone revetment. It was established with Berry Head Fort during the Napoleonic Wars. Now largely overgrown.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, DAP/HQ, 7-13 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337326.

Evans, D, 1986, The Berry Head Forts (Un-published). SDV362284.

One of only two forts built, of the four envisaged, to protect the artillery batteries from a possible French coup de main. The fort encloses an area on the cliff edge about 100 metres west to east and 125 metres north to south.

Evans, D., 1986, The History of the Berry Head Fortifications (Un-published). SDV362495.

One of only two forts built, of the four envisaged, to protect the artillery batteries from a possible French coup de main. The fort encloses an area on the cliff edge about 100 metres west to east and 125 metres north to south.

Horsley, J., 1988, A Short History of Brixham, 22 (Monograph). SDV362554.

The interior was levelled for use by the Devon Artillery Volunteers in the 1860s.

Evans, D., 1988, The fortification of Berry Head, 13-17 (Article in Serial). SDV317540.

Pye, A.R., 1989, Berry Head Fort, Brixham. An Archaeological Assessment, 6-13, 33, 34-35 (Report - Assessment). SDV362497.

Fort 1 is situated on a small headland to the south of the main promontory. It’s prime purpose was to protect the access to Fort 3 by providing flaking fire.
Construction of the ramparts began prior to 1798 and were complete by 1804. The internal buildings are thought to have been completed by 1802.
The landward facing walls survive, fronted by a dry moat. Parts of the musketry walls on the seaward sides also survive. The fort was entered through the north side across a drawbridge. The settings for this are still visible. In the interior are the remains of a powder magazine, guard and storehouse, kitchen and a small building abutting. To the north of the kitchen are the partially visible remains of the foundations of the barrack block. A large level area was interpreted by Horsley as a late 19th century parade ground but no supporting evidence has been found for this.

Breihan, J. R., 1990, Army barracks in Devon during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, 133-158 (Article in Serial). SDV336175.

Breihan discusses the general organisation of Napoleonic barracks.

Pye, A.R. & Slater, W.D., 1990, Berry Head Fort, Brixham, An Archaeological Survey, 9-14, Fig. 12 (Report - Survey). SDV362493.

The fort was built in 1795-1804 as a flanking defence for the approach to Fort No. 1 and is located on a small promontory to the south-west. Its defences and internal features mostly survive intact. The defences comprise a stone revetted rampart with a moat with a stone counterscarp revetment on the three landward sides. The entrance is in the north-west side and both this and the south-west section have gun embrasures. Sections of musketry wall survive along the southern perimeter.
Inside, an enclosed area of 4 acres, were a number of buildings of which a guard and storehouse, a magazine, a kitchen, an oven house and a barrack block have been identified. Both barracks and batteries were dismantled in 1817.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/QH, 5-12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV339225.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/SS, 10 (Aerial Photograph). SDV177423.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/TW, 6-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDV342910.

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

The structural and earthwork remains are clearly visible. Map object partly based on this source.

Passmore, A. J., 2010, Archaeological Recording at Berry Head, Brixham, Devon, May to October 2009 (Report - Assessment). SDV364281.

Archaeological recording was undertaken by Exeter Archaeology in 2009 within the two Napoleonic forts during construction and conservation works as part of the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust’s ‘On The Edge’ project. It followed on from an assessment and survey carried out in 1989 and 1990.
Replacement of the entrance bridge to Fort 1 enabled the structural remains of the original drawbridge to be further recorded while within the fort building recording and excavation was undertaken on the guardhouse, magazine and kitchen revealing further details of these buildings.
Finds from both forts include early 19th century pottery, clay tobacco pipes and glass.

Exeter Archaeology, 2010, Berry Head Hotel Brixham Part 1: Archaeological Assessment, 3-4, 6 (Report - Assessment). SDV362409.

One of two garrisoned redoubts built on Berry Head between 1795 and 1807.
Most of the Ordnance land was let for pasture from 1823 and in 1886 was sold to A. A. M. Hogg. The common and the forts were bought by Torbay Council in 1969.

Gaimster, M., 2011, Post-Medieval Fieldwork in Britain and Northern Ireland in 2010: Devon (Article in Serial). SDV361542.

Brixham, Berry Head Fort 1 (SX 9433 5649) and Fort 3 (SX 94165 56122).
A.J. Passmore and M. Leverett (Exeter Archaeology) recorded structures within two Napoleonic-era forts. In Fort 1 were remains of the original drawbridge, building recording and excavation were also undertaken on and within the guardhouse, magazine and kitchen, revealing further details of their original layout, and their construction and development (citing Exeter Archaeology Report 10.73).

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

The late eighteenth to early twentieth century fort number 1 at Berry Head is clearly visible on aerial photographs from 1946 to 2012. Although much of the fort is depicted on the base mapping, other parts are visible in greater detail on the aerial photographs and some additional features are visible. Some features depicted on the basemap have therefore been transcribed, mainly from the 2012 aerial photographs.
In addition to the stone revetted rampart with gun embrasures, many of the internal features previously surveyed by Pye & Slater (1990) are visible as ruinous structures and low earthworks. A small pale flat structure was visible at circa SS9417756076 to the east of the barrack block and may be the well or cistern capping recorded in the Torbay HER (MTO44729). The remains of the barracks themselves were indistinctly visible as low earthworks and possibly parchmarks, circa 30 by 7 metres in plan, on several runs of aerial photographs. A linear earthwork just to the north seems to mark the break of the slope down from the ramparts and has a probable return at its north-east point, forming what appears to be an L-shaped embanked feature in two parts.
No definite evidence was seen of the Second World War gun platforms recorded in the Torbay HER (MTO44730), although a 2 by 3 metre rectangular flat structure at circa SS9414456136 to the north-west of the suggested location was visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946. This may have had a military function as a stable base for machinery or a structure.

Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust, c2000, Berry Head National Nature Reserve (Pamphlet). SDV365783.

A guide to the wildlife and history of Berry Head with a plan showing the key areas and facilities. Berry Head was declared a National Nature Reserve in 2000. The fortifications, which were built between 1795 and 1806, are some of the best preserved Napoleonic fortifications in the country. The North Fort and Hardy's Head Battery were built to command the Torbay anchorage while the Old Redoubt to the south protected these batteries from landward attack.

War Office, Unknown, War Office and predecessors: 78. Maps and plans. Great Britain. Devon, WO 78 MPH 381 5/6/7/8/9/10/11 (Record Office Collection). SDV317542.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV17562	Monograph: Hoskins, W. G.. 1954. A New Survey of England: Devon. A New Survey of England: Devon. A5 Hardback. 349-50.
SDV177423	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1990. DAP/SS. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper) + Digital (Scan). 10.
SDV317540	Article in Serial: Evans, D.. 1988. The fortification of Berry Head. Devon Buildings Group Newsletter. 5. Unknown. 13-17.
SDV317541	Record Office Collection: Ordnance Office and War Office. 1830-1848. Ordnance Office and War Office: Correspondence. Berry Head. Public Record Office Collection. Unknown. WO 44/12.
SDV317542	Record Office Collection: War Office. Unknown. War Office and predecessors: 78. Maps and plans. Great Britain. Devon. Public Record Office Collection. Unknown. WO 78 MPH 381 5/6/7/8/9/10/11.
SDV317543	Record Office Collection: Ordnance Office and War Office. 1801-1811. Ordnance Office and War Office: Miscellaneous entry books and papers. Engineer papers. Plymouth district. Public Record Office Collection. Unknown. WO 55 797.
SDV317570	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1980. SX95NW36. OSAD Card. Card Index + Digital.
SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV336175	Article in Serial: Breihan, J. R.. 1990. Army barracks in Devon during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 122. A5 Paperback. 133-158.
SDV337326	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1986. DAP/HQ. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 7-13.
SDV339225	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1990. DAP/QH. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 5-12.
SDV342910	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1990. DAP/TW. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper) + Digital (Scan). 6-7.
SDV351061	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1890. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FS 3209-3210 10-DEC-1946. [Mapped feature: #127246 ]
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.
SDV354635	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University. 1973. K17-AD. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Photograph (Paper).
SDV361542	Article in Serial: Gaimster, M.. 2011. Post-Medieval Fieldwork in Britain and Northern Ireland in 2010: Devon. Post-Medieval Archaeology. 45. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV362284	Un-published: Evans, D. 1986. The Berry Head Forts. . Manuscript.
SDV362409	Report - Assessment: Exeter Archaeology. 2010. Berry Head Hotel Brixham Part 1: Archaeological Assessment. Exeter Archaeology. 10.05. Digital. 3-4, 6.
SDV362418	List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest: Department of Environment. 1975. Borough of Torbay. Historic Houses Register. 3.
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. 9-14, Fig. 12.
	Linked documents:1
SDV362495	Un-published: Evans, D.. 1986. The History of the Berry Head Fortifications. . Manuscript.
SDV362497	Report - Assessment: Pye, A.R.. 1989. Berry Head Fort, Brixham. An Archaeological Assessment. Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit. EMAFU 89.04. Hardcopy + Digital. 6-13, 33, 34-35.
	Linked documents:1
SDV362518	Report - Interim: Hawkins, M.R.. 1973. Berry Head Management Plan. Parks Committee of the County Borough of Torbay. Zone F.
SDV362520	Monograph: County Borough of Torbay. 1967. Berry Head. Berry Head. Paperback.
SDV362554	Monograph: Horsley, J.. 1988. A Short History of Brixham. A Short History of Brixham. 22.
SDV364281	Report - Assessment: Passmore, A. J.. 2010. Archaeological Recording at Berry Head, Brixham, Devon, May to October 2009. Exeter Archaeology. 10.73. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV365783	Pamphlet: Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust. c2000. Berry Head National Nature Reserve. Pamphlet + Digital.

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)
• EDV7840 - Survey by John Horsley - 1961-2
• EDV7797 - Architectural Survey by DA Buildings Section 1988
• EDV7832 - Documentary research on the Berry Head Fort
• EDV7834 - Archaeological Assessment of the Berry Head Forts
• EDV8911 - Archaeological recording at Berry Head, Brixham
• EDV7835 - Archaeological Survey of the Berry Head Forts

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