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Summary

Two storey observation post, the command and control centre for the Emergency Coastal Artillery Battery built in 1940 to protect Torbay.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020411: World War II Emergency Coastal Battery and remains of a Victorian practice battery, at Battery Gardens
• Listed Building (II) 1119691: BATTERY OBSERVATION POST BATTERY GARDENS

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX95NW/93/2
• Tide Project: 16/11/2023
• Torbay HER: MTO52992

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BATTERY OBSERVATION POST (Built, World War II - 1940 AD to 1940 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1942, RAF/AC41, RAF/AC41 20 30-APR-1942 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352349.

A structure is visible in this location.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2488, RAF/CPE/UK/2488 5227-5228 11-MAR-1948 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352767.

A structure is visible.

Royal Air Force, 1958, RAF/58/2549, NMR SX9256/26 RAF 30137/PSFO-P2-0069 27-AUG-1958 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351446.

The structure is clearly visible.

Coleman, R., 1989, The Purpose and History of the Battery at Battery Gardens, Brixham, 3-4 (Monograph). SDV362008.

Battery Observation Post located by the park gate. A 2-storey structure of reinforced concrete built in 1940. It is set into the cliff so that its flat roof is level with the road (North Furzeham Road). High precision range finders were housed in the upper storey, which acted as the centre of communications with the searchlight positions and guns. A Bar and Stroud range finder was housed in the lower part of the building. This building formed the operational focal point of the Emergency Coastal Defence battery here. The commander's accomodation was at the rear of the upper storey

Horner, B., 1994, Battery Gardens, Slide (Site Visit). SDV318352.

Site visit 14th April 1994. The building is still intact.

Coleman, R., 1994, Battery Observation Post (Correspondence). SDV319010.

A small brick structure to the west of the main observation post housed an additional rangefinder.

Phil Newman, 2001, Battery Gardens, Brixham, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, 8-9, Fig. 4, Pl. 9 + plan (Report - Survey). SDV362290.

Includes plans and plates of the observation post.

Channel Coast Observatory, 2001-2012, Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography, Channel Coastal Observatory SX9256_20120918ortho.ecw 18-SEP-2012 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351226.

The structure is visible.

Newman, P. + Salvatore, J., 2003, An emergency coast artillery battery at Battery Gardens, Brixham, Torbay, 218, Fig. 6, Pl. 2 (Article in Serial). SDV318361.

The Emergency Coast Artillery Battery at Brixham is a rare survival of a complete Second World War battery which was built in 1940 as part of the defences of Torbay. Its control centre was the Battery Observation Post (BOP) which contained range-finding equipment for directing the fire of the guns, the communications centre, a remote control for the searchlights and the Battery Commander's quarters.
It is a two storey, flat-roofed concrete building built into the slope with its back to the road, at the highest point of the gardens. Its roof is almost level with the road. Both floors had wide observation apertures on the seaward side, that on the upper storey extending into the side walls to give an even greater field of vision. The Battery Commander's quarters were to the rear of the second storey but the doorway is now blocked, as are the windows and it is not currently accessible.

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

The Battery Observation Post is visible as a rectangular structure, circa 6 by 7 metres in plan, on aerial photographs between 1942 and 2012. It is marked on the base map so has not been transcribed.

Watts, S., 2023, Battery Gardens, Brixham (Ground Photograph). SDV365626.

Views of and from the Battery Observation Post.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

Square building by the entrance to the park. Marked as a shelter.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1119691 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

Battery Observation Post. 1940. Reinforced concrete. Two-storey building, with steps down to balcony at first-floor level, entered from NW side; cantilevered roof over balcony, which views out to sea (NE); entrance to ground floor immediately below, with the wide opening beneath balcony. The Battery Observation Post is set into the cliff so that its flat roof is level with the road (North Furzeham Road). High precision range finders were housed in the upper storey, which acted as the centre of communications with the searchlights positions and guns. A Bar and Stroud range finder was housed in the lower part of the building. This building formed the operational focal point of the Emergency Coastal Defence Battery here, which was one of many erected in 1940 to provide additional protection to harbour installations. It survives in a remarkable state of preservation, with searchlight and gun positions.
Date first listed: 11th July 1997

Sources / Further Reading

SDV318352	Site Visit: Horner, B.. 1994. Battery Gardens. Slide. Slide.
SDV318361	Article in Serial: Newman, P. + Salvatore, J.. 2003. An emergency coast artillery battery at Battery Gardens, Brixham, Torbay. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 61. 218, Fig. 6, Pl. 2.
SDV319010	Correspondence: Coleman, R.. 1994. Battery Observation Post. Letter to Devon County Council. Unknown.
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 SX9256_20120918ortho.ecw 18-SEP-2012.
SDV351446	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1958. RAF/58/2549. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR SX9256/26 RAF 30137/PSFO-P2-0069 27-AUG-1958.
SDV352349	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1942. RAF/AC41. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/AC41 20 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 5227-5228 11-MAR-1948.
SDV362008	Monograph: Coleman, R.. 1989. The Purpose and History of the Battery at Battery Gardens, Brixham. The Purpose and History of the Battery at Battery Gardens, Brixham. Unknown. 3-4.
SDV362290	Report - Survey: Phil Newman. 2001. Battery Gardens, Brixham, Devon: An Archaeological Survey. English Heritage. Unknown. 8-9, Fig. 4, Pl. 9 + plan.
SDV365227	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2023. Mastermap 2023. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #141096 ]
SDV365228	National Heritage List for England: Historic England. 2023. National Heritage List for England. Digital. 1119691.
SDV365626	Ground Photograph: Watts, S.. 2023. Battery Gardens, Brixham. Digital.
	Linked images:5

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)
• EDV7848 - Archaeological Survey by Phil Newman - May 2001

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