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Summary

A three gun coastal battery originally built in 1780 at the start of the American War of Independence. One of three batteries built to defend the Torbay anchorage. It was dismantled in 1783 but reactivated in 1794 to form part of the Napoleonic defences when it was armed with four cannon. The granite gun beds can still be seen.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017322: Berry Head Fort and battery and Hardy's Head Battery
• Listed Building (II) 1208164: HARDY'S HEAD BATTERY AT SX 9440 5675

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX 95 NW 154
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX95NW/54
• Pastscape: 1315285
• Tide Project: 13/08/2020
• Torbay HER: MTO20088

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COASTAL BATTERY (Built, XVIII - 1780 AD (Between) to 1794 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1930 - 1939, Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV336668.

'Old Battery' is marked but no internal features are depicted.

Ordnance Survey, 1938, 122SE. Revision of 1936-1937 with additions in 1938. Provisional Edition (Cartographic). SDV337463.

Old Battery marked.

Royal Air Force, 1942, RAF/AC41, RAF/AC41 V 31-32 30-APR-1942 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352349.

Four flat probable structures are visible within a walled enclosure.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2488, RAF/CPE/UK/2488 5204-5205 11-MAR-1948 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352767.

Four flat probable structures and one rectangular structure are visible within a walled enclosure. Map object partly based on this source.

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

Hardy's Head Battery was built in the early 19th century instead of the No. 2 fort originally planned. It has substantial walls and housed four guns, the granite beds of some of which can still be seen.

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

Recognised in CBT management plan of 1973.

Robinson, R, 1984, Berry Head Fort and battery and Hardy's Head Battery (Site Visit). SDV363823.

Field Monument Warden site visit in January 1984.

Pye, A.R., 1989, Berry Head Fort, Brixham. An Archaeological Assessment, 6, 36, Figs (Report - Assessment). SDV362497.

Hardy’s Head Battery was a three gun battery originally built in 1780 at the start of the American War of Independence. One of three batteries built to defend the Torbay anchorage. It was dismantled in 1783 but reactivated in 1794 to form part of the Napoleonic defences when it was armed with four cannon. Shown on the Ordnance Surveyors sketch of 1803-4. The original wooden gun platforms were replaced by ones of moorstone in 1809. It was dismantled again in 1815. See report for further details.

Pye, A.R. & Slater, W.D., 1990, Berry Head Fort, Brixham, An Archaeological Survey, 4, 5, 7, 26, Figs (Report - Survey). SDV362493.

Built in 1779-80 and 1794-95. The 1780-83 battery had an armoury of three 20 or 24-pounder cannon. The 1795-1817 battery had emplacements for four 24 or 32-pounder cannon (or both) en barbette.
The surviving battery consists of 4 granite gun platforms (replacing the original timber platforms in 1809). These slope gently from rear to front. Two are orientated northwards, the others east and west. One of the former has remains of low stone sill at its northern end. Around all three sides is a low parapet, revelled on its downslope side with limestone rubble walling. The footings of a small rectangular building at the southeast corner of the platform may be the site of a magazine.

Fiorato, V.J., 2000, Hardy's Head Battery, Berry Head Brixham: An Archaeological Investigation (Report - Watching Brief). SDV362354.

Archaeological investigation and supervision of metal detecting undertaken during site management at Hardy’s Head Battery in February 2020. The works included removal of turf overgrowing the gun platforms and repairs to the earth revetment.
Hardy’s Head is a former coastal battery of 1780. It was dismantled in about 1783 but re-activated in 1794 as part of the response to the threat of Napoleonic invasion. It originally comprised three cannon mounted on wooden gun platforms that fired over the surrounding parapet (en barbette). The armament was increased in 1794 to four guns and the wooden platforms were replaced by granite blocks. The granite gun platforms and a parapet wall around the north, east and west sides still survive. The footings of a small building(s) in the south-east corner may have been a magazine.
Removal of turf from the gun platforms revealed a granite kerb at the junction of each gun platform and the rampart. A small number of Napoleonic finds were recovered including white glazed pottery, clay pipe stems and two military buttons.

Channel Coast Observatory, 2001-2012, Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography, Channel Coastal Observatory SX9356_20120918ortho.ecw 18-SEP-2012 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351226.

The gun platforms are clearly visible. Map object partly based on this source.

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

One of three batteries established on Berry Head following declarations of was by France and Spain in 1778-9 and reactivated in 1794-5. They were dismantled at the end of the Napoleonic War.

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/early nineteenth century battery is visible as a structure on aerial photographs from 1942, circa 22 metres maximum visible extent, with four internal gun platforms enclosed by a wall on three sides. A rectangular structure 2.5 by 5.5 metres in plan and visible in the south-east corner could be the foundations of the possible magazine building recorded here in the Torbay HER. The stone gun platforms are trapezoidal in plan measuring 2.5-3.5 by 4.5 metres each. They appear to be in good condition on the more recent aerial photographs in 2012, although the rectangular building is not clearly visible and the enclosing walls appear to have become overgrown.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

The remains of the battery including the gun platforms are clearly visible.

Historic England, 2020, National Heritage List for England, 1017322 (National Heritage List for England). SDV363414.

The scheduled monument at Berry Head comprises two separate areas of protection, Berry Head Fort and battery, and Hardy's Head Battery.
Hardy's Head Battery is a former coastal battery of 1780, lying to the north west of Berry Head Fort. It was dismantled around 1783 but was later reactivated as part of the response to the Napoleonic invasion threat; its gun platforms and parapet wall survive.
See scheduled monument description for full details.
Date first scheduled: 9th November 1950
Date of most recent amendment: 14th March 2000

Historic England, 2020, National Heritage List for England, 1208164 (National Heritage List for England). SDV363414.

Hardy's Head Battery at SX 9440 5675. Gun battery. 1779-80, reactivated 1794-5. Granite with limestone rubble revetment wall to earth rampart. The site is now laid out for public use with seatsand information board. See listing description for full details.
Date first listed: 18th October 1993

National Monuments Record, 2020, Pastscape, 1315285 (Website). SDV363416.

A former coastal battery lying about 280 metres north west of the entrance to Berry Head Fort. This battery was built in 1780 during the American War of Independence. It comprised three 24-pounder cannon on wooden gun platforms 'en barbette' (ie guns fired over their surrounding parapet rather than through them). It was dismantled in 1783 at the end of the war but was resurrected in 1794 as part of the Napoleonic defences. In this second phase its armament was increased from three to four cannon, one of which could offer fire to cover the northern side of Berry Head Fort. The wooden gun platforms were replaced by moorstone blocks which still survive, as does the surrounding low parapet of compacted earth and limestone rubble which encloses the battery on its north, east and west sides, forming a trapezoidal shape facing the sea approaches to the Torbay harbourage. Scheduled.

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.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336668	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1930 - 1939. Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV337463	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1938. 122SE. Revision of 1936-1937 with additions in 1938. Provisional Edition. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch Map. Map (Paper).
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 SX9356_20120918ortho.ecw 18-SEP-2012.
SDV352349	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1942. RAF/AC41. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/AC41 V 31-32 30-APR-1942.
SDV352767	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. RAF/CPE/UK/2488. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/2488 5204-5205 11-MAR-1948.
SDV361462	Aerial Photograph: Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC. 2015-2017. 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs. Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC. Photograph (Digital). [Mapped feature: #126740 ]
SDV362354	Report - Watching Brief: Fiorato, V.J.. 2000. Hardy's Head Battery, Berry Head Brixham: An Archaeological Investigation. Torbay HER Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV362409	Report - Assessment: Exeter Archaeology. 2010. Berry Head Hotel Brixham Part 1: Archaeological Assessment. Exeter Archaeology. 10.05. Digital. 3, 6.
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. 4, 5, 7, 26, Figs.
	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. 6, 36, Figs.
	Linked documents:1
SDV362518	Report - Interim: Hawkins, M.R.. 1973. Berry Head Management Plan. Parks Committee of the County Borough of Torbay. Zone C (Ca).
SDV362520	Monograph: County Borough of Torbay. 1967. Berry Head. Berry Head. Paperback.
SDV363414	National Heritage List for England: Historic England. 2020. National Heritage List for England. Digital. 1208164.
SDV363416	Website: National Monuments Record. 2020. Pastscape. https://www.pastscape.org.uk/. Website. 1315285.
SDV363823	Site Visit: Robinson, R. 1984. Berry Head Fort and battery and Hardy's Head Battery. Field Monument Warden Visit. Not Applicable.
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)
• EDV7913 - An Archaeological Investigation at Hardy's Head Battery, Berry Head, Brixham
• EDV7835 - Archaeological Survey of the Berry Head Forts
• EDV7834 - Archaeological Assessment of the Berry Head Forts
• EDV7960 - Berry Head Hotel, Brixham, Archaeological & Architectural Assessment 2010

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