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Summary

Artillery magazine built between 1798 and 1802. A square building with walls of roughly dressed limestone rubble 1.2 metres thick, surrounded by low enclosure wall. The line of the former roof is visible in the south gable end. A rare survival of a magazine

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) 1195203: RUINED MAGAZINE AND BLAST WALL 1.8 METRES WEST OF GUARDHOUSE, SOUTHERN FORT

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX95NW/16/4
• Tide Project: 02/12/2021

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MAGAZINE (Built, XVIII to XIX - 1798 AD (Between) to 1802 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Building depicted.

Pye, A.R., 1989, Berry Head Fort, Brixham. An Archaeological Assessment, 7, 16, 34, Pl. 6 (Report - Assessment). SDV362497.

In the interior of the fort are the remains of a powder magazine.

Pye, A.R. & Slater, W.D., 1990, Berry Head Fort, Brixham, An Archaeological Survey, 5, 12, Fig. 15, 16, Pls 7, 9, 10 (Report - Survey). SDV362493.

Powder magazine located to the west of the guardhouse. Built 1798-1802. Square, with 1.2 metre thick walls of roughly dressed limestone rubble. Entered from the east and surrounded by a low enclosure wall. All walls survive to full height except the enclosure and north gable end. The north-east corner was apparently rebuilt at some point. The doorway is central in the east wall, and has dressed granite jambs and lintel. Vertical slots central to each of the other three walls may represent ventilation ducts. The interior is brick-lined. The line of the barrel-vaulted roof visible in the south gable end. The original floor level is not visible.

Passmore, A. J., 2010, Archaeological Recording at Berry Head, Brixham, Devon, May to October 2009, 4, 8, 11, Fig. 7, Pl. 3 (Report - Assessment). SDV364281.

Archaeological excavation and building recording of the magazine was undertaken by Exeter Archaeology in 2009 as part of the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust’s ‘On The Edge’ project.
Debris within the magazine was cleared to the original floor level, revealing two make-up layers (1122 and 1120). Within these were 8 east-west aligned joist sockets (1120), two of which still contained fragments of decayed wood, indicating that building originally had a wooden floor.
The stone pathway to the building from its outer enclosure wall was also cleared. This comprised two slabs of granite each with sockets for door frames showing that there was originally a doorway in the outer wall as well as into the building itself.
Of particular interest is the find of a toy canon (sf12) (Pl. 5).

Watts, M. + S., 2020, Magazine at Berry Head Fort No. 1 (Ground Photograph). SDV364098.

Photos of the magazine at Berry Head Fort No. 1 (southern fort).

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

Square structure depicted.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1195203 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

Ruined magazine and blast wall 1.8 metres west of guardhouse, southern fort. Artillery magazine. 1798-1802. Roughly coursed Devonian limestone rubble with granite door surround; interior lined with red brick. No roof, although gable-ends indicate a pitched roof parallel with the front.
More complete than other ruinous structures on the fort and a rare survival of a powder magazine.
See listing description for further details.
Date first listed: 18th October 1993

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, 12, Fig. 15, 16, Pls 7, 9, 10.
	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. 7, 16, 34, Pl. 6.
	Linked documents:1
SDV364015	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2021. MasterMap 2021. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #128561 ]
SDV364016	National Heritage List for England: Historic England. 2021. National Heritage List for England. Digital. 1195203.
SDV364098	Ground Photograph: Watts, M. + S.. 2020. Magazine at Berry Head Fort No. 1. Digital.
	Linked images:4
SDV364281	Report - Assessment: Passmore, A. J.. 2010. Archaeological Recording at Berry Head, Brixham, Devon, May to October 2009. Exeter Archaeology. 10.73. Digital. 4, 8, 11, Fig. 7, Pl. 3.
	Linked documents:1

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV8167 - TOY (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Events

• 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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