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Summary

Quantities of animal and fish bones together with more than 1000 sherds of pottery were recovered during the excavation of a refuse deposit just beyond the perimeter wall of the fort. Also found were a number of regimental buttons and a Georgian swivel fob seal.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021430: The Old Redoubt and later Victorian Rifle Range Target, 540m south west of Berry Head Fort

Other References/Statuses

• Tide Project: 02/09/2022

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MIDDEN (XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Armitage, P. L., 2006, More buttons, bullets & bones, 11-15 (Article in Serial). SDV364324.

Investigations by young archaeologists of a kitchen refuse deposit just beyond the fort perimeter were undertaken as part of the CBA National Archaeological Event in July 2006. Not surprisingly food debris accounted for the greatest proportion of recovered material. This included several thousand cattle, sheep, poultry and fish bones and also shellfish. The fish species was dominated by hake. More than 1000 sherds of pottery were also found, predominantly wares associated with food preparation, cooking and serving. However, sherds from Chinese tea bowls, a porcelain plate (also possibly Chinese), a Wedgwood basalt ware tea or coffee pot and a brown banded chamber pot were also represented.
Other occupational debris included military buckles, a pouch clasp, gun flints, pistol and rifle balls, clay tobacco pipes, a thimble and pins and 42 regimental uniform buttons. Twenty five of the buttons were those worn by the Royal Regiment of Artillery but there was also a fine bone-backed button of the 1st Devon Militia Regiment. A decayed human tooth which had been extracted was also found.
Of particular interest though was a Georgian period swivel fob seal comprising a copper alloy mount with a glass intaglio. The intaglio depicted a woman in mourning on one side and the bust of a man on the other.
The finds make an important contribution to understanding the lives of soldiers in the fort between 1795 and 1815.

Riley, H., 2023, Berry Head Fort, Hardy’s Head Battery & The Old Redoubt, Torbay, Devon. PAI Implementation Plan for Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme, 17 (Report - Survey). SDV365956.

There were excavations of the rubbish dumps in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV7574 - FOB (XVIII to XIX - 1714 AD to 1830 AD)
• FDV7571 - ANIMAL REMAINS (XVIII to XIX - 1795 AD to 1815 AD)
• FDV7575 - BOWL (XVIII to XIX - 1795 AD to 1815 AD)
• FDV7572 - BUTTON (XVIII to XIX - 1795 AD to 1815 AD)
• FDV7573 - HUMAN REMAINS (XVIII to XIX - 1795 AD to 1815 AD)
• FDV7570 - SHERD (XVIII to XIX - 1795 AD to 1815 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV8766 - Excavations at Berry Head, Brixham
• EDV9033 - Assessment of Berry Head Fort, Hardy’s Head Battery and The Old Redoubt, Torbay, Devon

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