The old defences around Staddon Heights is impressive to say the least & littered with forts, coastal gun batteries, searchlights, submarine mining station, position finding cells, a mint WWII barrage balloon site & what must be the largest rifle range in the UK. To do a comprehensive report on this area would result in a lot of photos. Some of the old defences, protecting the South Eastern approaches to Plymouth Sound, can be found on this forum with a simple search.
The Musketry Gallery was built in the late 19th Century, within the huge ditch that ran from Fort Bovisand to Fort Staddon & was designed to protect the former Watch House Brake Battery above. A doorway leading from the gallery & a short walk across the ditch leads to the Watch House Brake PF Station. This was constructed around 1894 & used to supply Frobisher & Staddon Heights Batteries with target data. A total of six semi-sunken position finding cells connected via a passageway, with the original entrance via the ditch. Until a few years ago, the PF instrument pillars within each cell contained script that provided essential range data. For example, one pillar would have had the markings of the distance of the Mewstone in Yards. Since the documentation of these for a well known publication, the markings have disappeared due to weathering unfortunately. Last documented in the early 1990's, the majority of the PF Cell roof were intact but have since been removed, probably for safety issues as we couldn't see any trace of collapse within.
I had visited the Musketry Gallery before with another friend & Graybags. The PF cells had been located too but the connecting passageways had not been entered until now. A recent visit with theterrorwheel & Laurabops who hadn't seen this part before finally put paid to that & we can finally bring you some pictures from the connecting passageways for the first time since they were "blocked up" in the 1960's.
For anyone wishing to do this please beware, the first time i tried, i fell a good few feet into a void & it wasn't pleasant. This time we had luck on our side but still come away with scars of the relentless amount of gorse bushes on our legs. My pics were taken from 2 different visits here. Not much to see but another of the Plymouth defences off the list!
Firstly the Musketry Gallery....
View looking up the defensive ditch with the gallery at the end...
....and looking back down the ditch from the gallery
Entrance to the musketry gallery
Looking up into the gallery
Looking down the gallery
A view from one of the eleven loopholes within the gallery
Gallery entrance to the ditch with cable routing groove in the floor
View from the gallery doorway across the ditch, looking at the entrance to the PF Station
View of the Musketry Gallery from within the defensive ditch
Remnants of original cabling within the ditch
Now onto the Position Finding Station....
Steps lead up from the ditch into the PF Station entrance.....
....peeking through the gate. Steps lead up, straight ahead is the North Cell, the doorway to the right leads to a long descending passageway to a further five Position Finding Cells, although just out of sight this is bricked up (2nd pic)
On top of the North Cell, showing one of the six air vents & looking back at the musketry gallery
Views from the roofless PF Cells, some with all three instrument pillars
Views from inside the cells connecting passage, from the North bricked up entrance down to the sixth & last cell
Looking down the last section to the South cell, something of interest was to be found. From a distance these looked like filing cabinets but on closer inspection they seem to be some kind of storage heaters. Not bad condition for 100 years old!
Grafitti scribed into one of the door frames
Original wooden frame
Finally a view from one of the PF Cells
Cracking little explore, & good to see Laurabops out again. Congratulations on tying the knot & best wishes for the future to you & Si!
The Musketry Gallery was built in the late 19th Century, within the huge ditch that ran from Fort Bovisand to Fort Staddon & was designed to protect the former Watch House Brake Battery above. A doorway leading from the gallery & a short walk across the ditch leads to the Watch House Brake PF Station. This was constructed around 1894 & used to supply Frobisher & Staddon Heights Batteries with target data. A total of six semi-sunken position finding cells connected via a passageway, with the original entrance via the ditch. Until a few years ago, the PF instrument pillars within each cell contained script that provided essential range data. For example, one pillar would have had the markings of the distance of the Mewstone in Yards. Since the documentation of these for a well known publication, the markings have disappeared due to weathering unfortunately. Last documented in the early 1990's, the majority of the PF Cell roof were intact but have since been removed, probably for safety issues as we couldn't see any trace of collapse within.
I had visited the Musketry Gallery before with another friend & Graybags. The PF cells had been located too but the connecting passageways had not been entered until now. A recent visit with theterrorwheel & Laurabops who hadn't seen this part before finally put paid to that & we can finally bring you some pictures from the connecting passageways for the first time since they were "blocked up" in the 1960's.
For anyone wishing to do this please beware, the first time i tried, i fell a good few feet into a void & it wasn't pleasant. This time we had luck on our side but still come away with scars of the relentless amount of gorse bushes on our legs. My pics were taken from 2 different visits here. Not much to see but another of the Plymouth defences off the list!
Firstly the Musketry Gallery....
View looking up the defensive ditch with the gallery at the end...
....and looking back down the ditch from the gallery
Entrance to the musketry gallery
Looking up into the gallery
Looking down the gallery
A view from one of the eleven loopholes within the gallery
Gallery entrance to the ditch with cable routing groove in the floor
View from the gallery doorway across the ditch, looking at the entrance to the PF Station
View of the Musketry Gallery from within the defensive ditch
Remnants of original cabling within the ditch
Now onto the Position Finding Station....
Steps lead up from the ditch into the PF Station entrance.....
....peeking through the gate. Steps lead up, straight ahead is the North Cell, the doorway to the right leads to a long descending passageway to a further five Position Finding Cells, although just out of sight this is bricked up (2nd pic)
On top of the North Cell, showing one of the six air vents & looking back at the musketry gallery
Views from the roofless PF Cells, some with all three instrument pillars
Views from inside the cells connecting passage, from the North bricked up entrance down to the sixth & last cell
Looking down the last section to the South cell, something of interest was to be found. From a distance these looked like filing cabinets but on closer inspection they seem to be some kind of storage heaters. Not bad condition for 100 years old!
Grafitti scribed into one of the door frames
Original wooden frame
Finally a view from one of the PF Cells
Cracking little explore, & good to see Laurabops out again. Congratulations on tying the knot & best wishes for the future to you & Si!
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