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Summary

One of four barracks on the southern side of the fort dated 1804-07. The barracks were of prefabricated timber construction, the walls sitting on low stone footings. They were dismantled in 1817 and only the footings remain; that of Barrack block 2 being the most visible. The four northern barracks have been quarried away.

Location

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX95NW/4/23
• Tide Project: 28/08/2020
• Torbay HER: MTO42890

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BARRACKS (Built, XIX - 1804 AD (Between) to 1807 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The store and barracks 2, 3 and 4 and depicted and marked as Barracks (In Ruins).

Pye, A.R., 1989, Berry Head Fort, Brixham. An Archaeological Assessment, 8-9, 12, 15, 35 (Report - Assessment). SDV362497.

The southern barracks were built c1804-7. The are later and of a different design to the northern barracks, built c.1804-7. They were dismantled in 1817. The foundations of the four southern barracks are partly visible.

Pye, A.R. & Slater, W.D., 1990, Berry Head Fort, Brixham, An Archaeological Survey, 5-7, 19, Fig. 6, 12, 19, 20, Pl. 3 (Report - Survey). SDV362493.

Barrack 2. One of four southern barrack blocks. The four northern ones have been quarried away.
The southern barracks though are later in date and on a different plan to the northern ones and were built c.1804-7. Possibly they were added to accommodate the men originally intended to be stationed in redoubts 2 and 4.
The barracks were single storied, prefabricated timber buildings on low stone footings, with 'snug fireplaces'. Each barrack block enclosed three sides of a courtyard which contained a separate building, possibly a kitchen. The barracks were dismantled in 1817 when the fort was decommissioned and only the footings remain which are visible on the ground and from the air. Barrack 2 is the most visible and its footings planned as the model for the others.

Riley, H., 2023, Berry Head Fort, Hardy’s Head Battery & The Old Redoubt, Torbay, Devon. PAI Implementation Plan for Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme, 6, 20, Figs 9-11, 13-14, 26 (Report - Survey). SDV365956.

The foundations of the barrack blocks show well on Lidar imagery. The report comments on the vegetation growing on the surviving walls and recommends that it be removed and the walls consolidated.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
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. 5-7, 19, Fig. 6, 12, 19, 20, Pl. 3. [Mapped feature: #126838 Imported from Torbay HER - Jan 2019, ]
	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. 8-9, 12, 15, 35.
	Linked documents:1
SDV365956	Report - Survey: Riley, H.. 2023. Berry Head Fort, Hardy’s Head Battery & The Old Redoubt, Torbay, Devon. PAI Implementation Plan for Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Hazel Riley. Digital. 6, 20, Figs 9-11, 13-14, 26.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7834 - Archaeological Assessment of the Berry Head Forts
• EDV7835 - Archaeological Survey of the Berry Head Forts
• EDV9033 - Assessment of Berry Head Fort, Hardy’s Head Battery and The Old Redoubt, Torbay, Devon

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