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Summary

An Admiralty flag signal station was set up on the hill top at Berry Head in the 1790s and which was used during the Napoleonic Wars. It is not shown on the 1809 Ordnance Survey map.

Location

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX95NW/8
• Tide Project: 17/09/2020
• Torbay HER: MTO9597

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SIGNAL STATION (Built, XVIII - 1793 AD (Between) to 1796 AD (Between))

Full description

Hudleston, R., 1911, The coast signal stations and the semaphore telegraph, 166 (Article in Serial). SDV362508.

The site of the Torbay station of the Torbay to Playmouth semaphore telegraph which was completed by 1796. Hudleston also refers to a coast signal station at Brixton [possibly a mis-print for Brixham] which was superseded by telegraph.

Russell, P., 1955, Fire Beacons in Devon, 296 (Article in Serial). SDV336138.

No signal station was shown here on either OS 1809 map or Greenwood's map, though the hill-top was acquired by the admiralty for a flag signal station which was set up in 1773.

County Borough of Torbay, 1967, Berry Head, 15 (Monograph). SDV362520.

The Admiralty erected a signal station here in 1794 at a cost of £104 16s 7d.

Cambridge University, 1973, K17-AD, 128-130 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354635.

Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology, 1977, Development File Nos 16 and 45, Development file 16 (Worksheet). SDV317869.

Pye, A.R., 1989, Berry Head Fort, Brixham. An Archaeological Assessment, 11 (Report - Assessment). SDV362497.

A telegraph signal station was erected on the headland at the end of the 18th century and is shown on the 1803-4 surveyors sketch.

Kitchen, F., 1990, The Napoleonic War Coast Signal Stations, 337 (Article in Serial). SDV145464.

Erected in 1794 at a cost of £104 16s 7d

Sources / Further Reading

SDV145464	Article in Serial: Kitchen, F.. 1990. The Napoleonic War Coast Signal Stations. The Mariner's Mirror. 76. Unknown. 337.
SDV317869	Worksheet: Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology. 1977. Development File Nos 16 and 45. Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology Development File. Worksheet. Development file 16.
SDV336138	Article in Serial: Russell, P.. 1955. Fire Beacons in Devon. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 87. A5 Hardback. 296.
SDV354635	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University. 1973. K17-AD. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Photograph (Paper). 128-130.
SDV362497	Report - Assessment: Pye, A.R.. 1989. Berry Head Fort, Brixham. An Archaeological Assessment. Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit. EMAFU 89.04. Hardcopy + Digital. 11.
	Linked documents:1
SDV362508	Article in Serial: Hudleston, R.. 1911. The coast signal stations and the semaphore telegraph. The Mariner's Mirror. 1. Unknown. 166.
SDV362520	Monograph: County Borough of Torbay. 1967. Berry Head. Berry Head. Paperback. 15.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7834 - Archaeological Assessment of the Berry Head Forts

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