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Summary

Ruinous rectangular structure with walls of roughly dressed limestone rubble. It may have been a latrine but it lies outside the garde foux.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017322: Berry Head Fort and battery and Hardy's Head Battery

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX95NW/4/18
• Tide Project: 04/09/2020
• Torbay HER: MTO42885

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BUILDING (Built, XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Pye, A.R. & Slater, W.D., 1990, Berry Head Fort, Brixham, An Archaeological Survey, 25, Fig. 12 (Report - Survey). SDV362493.

A rectangular structure similar in character to that at the east end of the southern garde foux lies south of and between barracks 3 and 4. The interpretation as a latrine is hampered by its situation outside the garde foux. It is in a good condition. The walls are of roughly dressed limestone rubble, 0.5 metres thick (the decorative course of limestone slabs is secondary, possibly late 19th century). Its interior is obscured by vegetation, but appears to possess no internal lining or visible features. The present floor level is 1.5 metres below the surrounding ground level.

Armitage, P. + Rouse, R., 1999, Berry Head North Fort. Excavations 1998/99 (Report - Excavation). SDV366053.

Excavations were undertaken in Fort No. 3 in 1998-99 on the site of a ruined stone structure. The excavations comprised a series of joining trenches across the site of the building. A layer of dumped construction rubble was recorded and also a black, gritty ashy layer which represents discarded food waste and other occupation refuse mixed with raked out material from barrack/kitchen hearths.
Finds included a coin of Constans AD333-350 (Trench 1), a worked Mesolithic flint (Trench 8) and a Dutch East India Company coin of 1789 (Trench 7B).
A sherd of a mess plate of the 51st Foot Regiment, who were stationed at the barracks in 1809, which was found below the rubble deposit layer [2] in Trench 11A provides a terminus post quem for the construction of the building.
Finds of regimental buttons, Shako plates, musket and pistol balls, thimbles and miscellaneous objects including a candle snuffer and a sugar cutter found within Areas 3 and 4 are also plotted.

Ordnance Survey, 2020, MasterMap 2020 (Cartographic). SDV363413.

Rectangular structure shown.

Sources / Further Reading

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. 25, Fig. 12.
	Linked documents:1
SDV363413	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2020. MasterMap 2020. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #126878 ]
SDV366053	Report - Excavation: Armitage, P. + Rouse, R.. 1999. Berry Head North Fort. Excavations 1998/99. Brixham Heritage Museum. Digital.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7835 - Archaeological Survey of the Berry Head Forts
• EDV9096 - Excavations at Berry Head North Fort

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