366:. These sited at three main gun positions, including W battery containing two guns on 'C' pivots (rotating around a reused Georgian cannon set upright in the ground). Each gun weighed 7 tons and had a 30-pound (14 kg) charge of gunpowder able to fire a 112-pound (51 kg) Palliser shot at 1,560 feet (475 m) per second. This could pierce 8 inches (20 cm) of armour at 1,000 yards (910 m). It was proposed to replace the 7-inch (18 cm) guns with larger 9-inch (23 cm) versions in 1888 but this was never put into action. It had a large, underground, main gunpowder magazine, 15 by 18 feet (4.6 by 5.5 m) and 20 feet (6.1 m) high. The fort was staffed by 50 officers and men of the Coast Brigade,
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down a ventilator shaft causing the explosion, after being put on a charge for returning late to barracks, however this explanation has been challenged. The wall separating the fort from the moat on the south west corner was demolished and wreckage thrown up to 200 yards (183 m). No one knew why
381:
moved his equipment to Brean Down and set a new distance record of 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) for wireless transmission over open sea. The end of the fort's active service came at 5 a.m. on 6 July 1900 when the No. 3 magazine which held 3 tons (3 tonnes) of gunpowder exploded. An
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Two gun positions were built to mount the ex-naval guns in their turrets. These were later protected with a "plastic" anti-aircraft roof. One position was built over the ruins of the old west battery and the other partly obscures the north west battery. The barrack blocks were converted and the
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273:. It is now on an exposed cliff as the land has been eroded by the sea. Bronze Age artefacts from the site include pottery and jewellery. Most of the finds are now in the
344:, recommended fortification of the coast. Brean Down Fort formed part of a strategic coastal defence system covering the channel between the mainland and the islands of
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batteries for illuminating seaborne targets, a command post and the barracks for the garrison were built outside the original
Palmeston fort.
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The site remains unlocked at all times, with volunteers manning buildings on summer weekends and Mon, Wed, Fri in summer school holidays
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Four acres of land at the end of Brean Down were requisitioned in 1862, with construction beginning in 1864 and completed in 1871.
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It was then used as a café, owned by the
Hillman family from at least 1907 until sold in 1936 to the 'bird sanctuary people'.
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the gunner had blown up the fort, but it has been speculated that it was an act of suicide. The cannons were hauled away by
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The site has a long history because of its prominent position. The earliest recorded settlement is from the Early to Middle
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since 2002, following a £431,000 renovation project, as part of its Brean Down property and is open to the public.
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windows partly blocked to reduce the effects of blast. Several other associated structures, including
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History of the Royal
Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941
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to provide protection to the ports of the
Bristol Channel, and was decommissioned in 1901. During
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battery. The site was also used as a test launch site for rockets and experimental weapons.
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The fort was used as a location for filming of the second episode, "Warriors", of the
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designed specifically to bounce to a target such as across water to avoid
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The site has also produced Roman gold and silver coins of the emperors
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932:, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996,
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attack on the villains base on
Cragfest Island in episode six of 1978
194:. It was built 60 feet (18 m) above sea level on the headland at
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Brean Down Fort: Its
History and the Defence of the Bristol Channel
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Brean Down Fort: Its
History and the Defence of the Bristol Channel
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The current buildings were constructed in the 1860s as one of the
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281:. The presence of a probable roundhouse has also been detected.
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Somerset V Hitler: Secret
Operations in the Mendips 1939–1945
569:"Historic Brean Down Fort re-opens after £431,000 renovation"
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Some of the better known weapons trialled were the seaborne
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Several experimental weapons were trialled at Brean, by the
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was a
Victorian naval fortification designed to protect the
362:, which were among the last of this type to be made at the
269:
The earliest record settlement is from the Early to Middle
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it was rearmed and used for experimental weapons testing.
316:, built across the channel to protect the approaches to
16:
19th-century military fortification in
Somerset, England
889:"Second-World-War Coast Artillery battery, Brean Down"
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The site was manned by 365 and 366 Coast Batteries of
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List of hillforts and ancient settlements in Somerset
338:
Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom
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The Early History of Radio: From Faraday to Marconi
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247:The fort was also used for exterior scenes of the
438:Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapons Development
373:In 1897, following wireless transmissions from
360:7-inch (18 cm) rifled muzzle-loading guns
1012:Coast Defences of England and Wales 1856-1956
951:"Birnbeck Island Pier — A short history"
864:. Newbury: Countryside Books. pp. 5–11.
382:inquiry found that Gunner Haines had fired a
8:
720:"A look at Brean Down's historic background"
914:571 Coast Rgt at Royal Artillery 1939–1945.
782:. International Marconi Day. Archived from
370:, but no shots were ever fired in action.
20:
714:
712:
691:"Victorian artillery battery, Brean Down"
358:The fort was originally armed with seven
855:
853:
410:ex-naval guns and two searchlights as a
324:. It was fortified following a visit by
981:"Experimental weapon rails, Brean Down"
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881:
560:
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780:"Marconi at Brean Down (near Bristol)"
685:
683:
1113:National Trust properties in Somerset
427:571st Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery
7:
985:Somerset Historic Environment Record
893:Somerset Historic Environment Record
862:Somerset tales of mystery and murder
695:Somerset Historic Environment Record
666:Somerset Historic Environment Record
1088:Brean Down Fort Visitor Information
14:
1078:information at the National Trust
484:The fort seen from the north path
1123:Scheduled monuments in Sedgemoor
525:
513:
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308:Brean Down Fort forms part of a
198:, 9 miles (14 km) south of
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1028:van der Bijl, Nicholas (2000).
955:Friends of the Old Pier Society
227:The site has been owned by the
1054:. Newbury: Countryside Books.
575:. 27 June 2002. Archived from
406:the fort was rearmed with two
1:
1032:. Cossington: Hawk Editions.
860:Evans, Roger (October 2004).
839:. Cossington: Hawk Editions.
532:The fort from the south path
987:. South West Heritage Trust
895:. South West Heritage Trust
697:. South West Heritage Trust
668:. South West Heritage Trust
1154:
1133:Iron Age sites in Somerset
1073:Victorian Forts data sheet
637:National Monuments Record
603:National Monuments Record
459:AMUCK and the expendable
50:
41:
28:
805:Garratt, G.R.M. (1994).
750:"Marconi: Radio Pioneer"
377:in Wales and Flat Holm,
103:51.3272306°N 3.0333556°W
1014:. David & Charles.
831:van der Bijl, Nicholas
573:This is the West County
465:noise-seeking torpedoes
1118:Hill forts in Somerset
1050:Brown, Donald (1999).
662:"Hillfort, Brean Down"
457:anti-submarine missile
300:and a cornelian ring.
108:51.3272306; -3.0333556
463:(designed to confuse
340:, under direction of
1010:Hogg, Ian V (1974).
961:on 28 September 2007
754:BBC South East Wales
364:Woolwich Gun Foundry
170:Garrison information
165:1871–1901, 1940–1945
1128:History of Somerset
786:on 19 February 2014
402:On the outbreak of
265:Bronze Age to Roman
99: /
940:, Annexes H and M.
275:Museum of Somerset
258:The Doombolt Chase
1138:Coastal artillery
1103:Forts in Somerset
818:978-0-85296-845-1
613:on 2 October 2012
496:Officers quarters
412:Coastal artillery
379:Guglielmo Marconi
238:television drama
200:Weston-super-Mare
185:
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1108:Palmerston Forts
1083:Palmerston Forts
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461:acoustic emitter
389:traction engines
314:Palmerston Forts
310:line of defences
218:Palmerston Forts
119:Site information
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1045:Further reading
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375:Lavernock Point
368:Royal Artillery
342:Lord Palmerston
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304:Palmerston Fort
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192:Bristol Channel
188:Brean Down Fort
180:Royal Artillery
178:Coast Brigade,
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136:the public
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1067:External links
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724:Burnham on Sea
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847:. pages 71-75
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91:51°19′38.03″N
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989:. Retrieved
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959:the original
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897:. Retrieved
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788:. Retrieved
784:the original
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762:. Retrieved
758:the original
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732:. Retrieved
728:the original
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699:. Retrieved
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670:. Retrieved
665:
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644:. Retrieved
636:
633:"Brean Down"
627:
615:. Retrieved
611:the original
602:
599:"Brean Down"
593:
581:. Retrieved
577:the original
572:
563:
520:Engine House
453:torpedo nets
446:
442:HMS Birnbeck
431:
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404:World War II
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398:World War II
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222:World War II
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156:World War II
144:Site history
134:Open to
94:3°02′00.08″W
18:
440:, based at
420:searchlight
312:, known as
241:Bonekickers
206:, England.
162:In use
154:rearmed in
106: /
82:Coordinates
1097:Categories
790:6 February
550:References
346:Steep Holm
271:Bronze Age
211:Bronze Age
196:Brean Down
434:Admiralty
350:Flat Holm
298:Vespasian
152:1864–1871
924:Gen Sir
835:(2000).
764:12 April
672:21 March
646:21 March
617:21 March
538:See also
408:six-inch
286:Augustus
204:Somerset
175:Garrison
31:Somerset
1004:Sources
811:. IET.
471:Gallery
322:Cardiff
318:Bristol
279:Taunton
255:series
35:England
1058:
1036:
1018:
965:6 June
936:
868:
843:
815:
334:France
294:Drusus
991:6 May
899:6 May
734:6 May
701:6 May
583:6 May
555:Notes
149:Built
124:Owner
1056:ISBN
1034:ISBN
1016:ISBN
993:2008
967:2007
934:ISBN
901:2008
866:ISBN
841:ISBN
813:ISBN
792:2014
766:2008
736:2008
703:2008
674:2011
648:2011
619:2011
585:2008
348:and
328:and
320:and
296:and
290:Nero
833:BEM
467:).
436:'s
332:to
277:in
253:HTV
236:BBC
1099::
983:.
953:.
928:,
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752:.
722:.
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693:.
682:^
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
