Fort Austin Counterscarp Gallery, Plymouth - Mar/May '09

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Badoosh

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The fort itself is now a council depot & the tunnels leading down to the mid & lower defences have been heavily bricked up to prevent access within. Two tunnels run from the fort to mortar batteries on the mid-ramparts, with one leading further down to the loop-holed counterscarp gallery that lies within the defensive ditch, complete with two pairs of gun casemates, magazines & a musketry gallery.
Fort Austin was one of the Northern Plymouth Defences sitting high overlooking Forder Valley. Around 80% of the gallery lies buried from infilling the ditch & lies within a nature reserve.

After a couple of visits here with Graybags, theterrorwheel & extrogg, we thought we may as well get some pics up from a place that was no doubt a local teenage haunt for some of the Plymouth peeps on here. It must have been great fun as a kid exploring this little gem!

Exterior view of the unburied section of the counterscarp gallery showing 1 of 2 pairs of gun casemates
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Inside a gun casemate
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View looking down the loop-holed counterscarp gallery...
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...complete with a sally port entrance...
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...at the end of the gallery, doorway on the left leads to the second pair of gun casemates & a small magazine room...the lower tunnel is the musketry gallery
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Looking back down the musketry gallery...
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...which leads up a long staircase now covered with rubbish. There was sunlight at the top but this was blocked by Captain Caveman Graybags negotiating his way up!
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Just stepped out into where one of the mortar batteries would have been. This tunnel leads up to the fort, now bricked up at the end, but has a magazine at the right when you get to the top
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Magazine loading hatch
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On to the next tunnel, again bricked up at the top preventing access to the fort. This is sited at mid level on he hill & the location of another mortar battery
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Same again at the end of this tunnel, with a magazine room, but this time on your left...
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...although this tunnel had something different! A hole in the ceiling which was possibly to lower shells down.
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Inside the magazine, we found this little beauty of a sign
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On our second visit, we also found more old skool memorobillia in the ditch. What happened to PK's?
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That's it from here from me. I look forward to seeing the pics from the others.
 
here is some of my pics plenty more to see there but dont want to give all the place away.

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Hey, i used to blow shit up down there when i was 15 awesome fun, i belive the entrance where people get in is actually a first floor and there is something below the ground since its been filled in.

I even spent the night there once, that was an experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Is anybody up for a small group explore of this place? I know of an access point, not sure if this is the same one you guys used. looks a little different.
 
hello i went the other night was good, im meant to be goin again soon for better pics.
so yeh shud b worth another trip
 
Is anybody up for a small group explore of this place? I know of an access point, not sure if this is the same one you guys used. looks a little different.

Always up for some cam practice, plus my boy wants to have a look. PM me when you have a date :)
 

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