Brownhill Battery is sandwiched between Fort Bovisand & Fort Staddon, part of the surrounding defences of Plymouth built in the 1860's on recommendation from the Royal Commission to protect Staddon heights from an enemy attack. A huge ditch ran from Fort Bovisand to Fort Staddon offering protection from the South & East. In 1875, it had an armament of eight 64 pounder RML's on carriages stored at Fort Staddon & in 1893 these were replaced with six 8 inch RML howitzers, combined with two 40 pounder RML's a few years later in 1903.
Much of the site is heavily overgrown & we couldn't access the two observation posts or the gun positions due to this, we did try! A World War 2 radar installation lies immediately north of here & it's thought that the grounds of the battery was used as accomodation with hut bases still visible. In recent years this has been used for stables & cattle, & outside the loopholed wall lies Staddon golf course. Visited this a few times with theterrorwheel, Laurabops & Dave.
Exterior view of the loopholed wall
View through a loophole
On top of the loopholed wall
Inside the battery, showing the loopholed wall & guard house
Guard house
The tin roof building is of later construction, but looks like there could have been a Nissen type hut here. One of the three expense magazines is visible to the top left.
Reservoir inside the battery
The expense magazines. Inspiration for accomodation of Teletubbies & Hobbits methinks.
Steps lead down to the cartridge & shell store
Davit above the shell/cartridge magazine
Inside the magazine, there is 2 rooms
Of all the battery's i've visited i've never seen a hole like this. I wonder what it's purpose was.
Finally, a view from one of the magazines showing the interior of the loopholed wall & the massive rifle range wall that sits atop Staddon Heights. Many people think the wall was built as a windshield for the golf course lol.
Much of the site is heavily overgrown & we couldn't access the two observation posts or the gun positions due to this, we did try! A World War 2 radar installation lies immediately north of here & it's thought that the grounds of the battery was used as accomodation with hut bases still visible. In recent years this has been used for stables & cattle, & outside the loopholed wall lies Staddon golf course. Visited this a few times with theterrorwheel, Laurabops & Dave.
Exterior view of the loopholed wall
View through a loophole
On top of the loopholed wall
Inside the battery, showing the loopholed wall & guard house
Guard house
The tin roof building is of later construction, but looks like there could have been a Nissen type hut here. One of the three expense magazines is visible to the top left.
Reservoir inside the battery
The expense magazines. Inspiration for accomodation of Teletubbies & Hobbits methinks.
Steps lead down to the cartridge & shell store
Davit above the shell/cartridge magazine
Inside the magazine, there is 2 rooms
Of all the battery's i've visited i've never seen a hole like this. I wonder what it's purpose was.
Finally, a view from one of the magazines showing the interior of the loopholed wall & the massive rifle range wall that sits atop Staddon Heights. Many people think the wall was built as a windshield for the golf course lol.