See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

A pre-war park shelter which was utilised as a store for small arms and spare parts during the Second World War. Now returned for use as a shelter.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020411: World War II Emergency Coastal Battery and remains of a Victorian practice battery, at Battery Gardens

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX95NW/93/14
• Tide Project: 03/05/2024
• Torbay HER: MTO52993

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARK SHELTER (Built, Mid 20th Century to Unknown - 1933 AD (Pre))
• ORDNANCE STORE (World War II - 1940 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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

Site of a structure known as 'The Altmark'. It housed small arms and spare parts. It had been a public shelter before the war and has been returned to that use.

Phil Newman, 2001, Battery Gardens, Brixham, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, 13 (Report - Survey). SDV362290.

A pre-war park shelter - it is present on the 1933 OS County Series 1:2500 Second Revision - was boarded up during the miltary occupation of the site and the floor area extended in order that the could be used as a store for small arms and spare parts. The name appears to stem form the German Fleet auxiliary Altmark, which was was illegally carrying British POWs in Norwegian territorial waters (pre- April 1940), and was captured by HMS Cossack to much acclaim. Alternatively it may stem from the 19th century range finder monolith and its inscription.

Newman, P. + Salvatore, J., 2003, An emergency coast artillery battery at Battery Gardens, Brixham, Torbay, 222-223, Fig. 3 (Article in Serial). SDV318361.

Near the main entrance is a concrete platform with a roof supported on a steel frame. It was built as a shelter prior to the Second World War and is still in use as such today. However, during the war the sides were boarded up and it was used as a store. The name 'Altmark' is suggested to have been given to the structure by the men serving there after a German prison ship of that name. Alternatively the name could derive from the words Alt (from altitude, altazimuth) and mark (marker) referencing the earlier range sighting stone close by.

Ordnance Survey, 2024, Mastermap 2024 (Cartographic). SDV365834.

Rectangular structure shown.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7848 - Archaeological Survey by Phil Newman

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.