214:
202:
487:
391:
24:
226:
414:, known as Brownstone Battery. This was a 'close defence' battery sited in June 1942 and armed with 'LS' (Land Service) 6 Inch Mark VII guns on mark II mountings. The role of the battery was to engage enemy forces, such as landing craft and mother ships carrying landing craft, attempting landings on
494:
Created in 1999, the
Heritage Centre Group is committed to the promotion of the history of the Brixham Battery as well as the environment, flora and fauna. The volunteers have overseen the expansion of its on-site education centre within the grounds of the gardens, known as Brixham Battery Heritage
583:
Among the buildings which still stand are the BOP and a store. The former is now the NCI Watch
Station, and the latter houses the Visitor Centre and generator room. The BOP retains many original features, including the steel shutters which can be seen in the top photograph, taken before Coastwatch
451:. Trained in all the functions of the Battery and being able to man it on their own if the occasion arose, the crews became very efficient and were often commended by the Brigadier Royal Artillery Southern Command and Commander of Coast Artillery South West District.
297:
At the start of the French wars the land was purchased and the guns returned. Again the guns were removed at the end of hostilities. The battery was still a military station in a report of 2 June 1862 and was manned by the 11th Devon
Artillery Volunteers,
462:
entered the bay on several occasions but were never engaged since this might have given away the location of the
Battery – information deemed to valuable to an enemy landing force. In principle, engagement of enemy vessels would have been left to the
446:
362 Battery 18 CA GP Regiment, becoming 362 Battery 556 Regiment in 1941 and 378 Battery 556 Regiment in 1942. The Royal
Artillery was strongly supported by local men transferred from 'D' Company (10th Torbay) Battalion Devonshire
422:
beaches and to destroy any beach head which had been established. Parts of the gun beds, the battery observation post, magazines, searchlights and other features can still be seen, and are now preserved by the
624:
139:
The 14-acre (57,000 m) site of
Battery Gardens was first used as a battery in 1586 during the war between England and Spain. The Battery was not permanently armed but was certainly active throughout the
424:
271:
From 1776 to 1890 the battery was known variously as
Furzdon, Furzeham, Furzham, Furzedown and Fishcombe point. During the end of the 18th century Brixham was the station for the western approach of the
711:
470:
There were, however, many occasions on which the anti-aircraft defences at the battery were in action against the hit-and-run raiders attacking
Brixham harbour and shipping in the Bay. These included
290:
Battery gardens was to be the most westerly battery covering the harbour. The militia were to prepare the positions, and the guns, 24 pounders, arrived in May 1780 at the same time as the
363:
would have made ideal sites for enemy landings. The Corbyn Head battery was well sited to cover targets within the bay while the
Brixham Battery could also engage craft further out in
706:
642:
294:
guns (the site of a
Napoleonic fort a little along from battery gardens). The land being commandeered, compensation being paid in 1783 at the end of hostilities.
201:
268:
It is known that as far back as 1586 a gun platform was established in battery grounds against the threat of attack from Spain. This was maintained until 1664.
701:
156:
213:
538:"World War II Emergency Coastal Battery and remains of a Victorian practice battery, at Battery Gardens, Brixham - 1020411 | Historic England"
132:
681:
251:, but following the receding threat of invasion the Battery was later manned by 378 Battery – of which almost all were members of the
107:
328:
512:
398:
estuary, showing the battery lookout, some buildings, both searchlight posts, one gun emplacement, and sundry other concrete works
287:
decided that, along with other naval stations along the south coast of England, Brixham was to be protected by gun emplacements.
41:
566:
428:
384:
247:
A total of about one hundred officers and soldiers manned the Battery. The Battery was originally manned by soldiers from the
244:
coast and defence batteries had two main guns, anti-aircraft weapons and, in the case of Brixham, extra harbour defence guns.
88:
562:
45:
60:
128:
155:
All that can be seen today was built from June to September 1940 immediately following the defeat and evacuation of the
141:
67:
448:
252:
149:
691:
455:
419:
34:
696:
74:
299:
458:
were never used in earnest against enemy forces though there were occasions when alerts were ordered. German
56:
372:
368:
537:
471:
380:
376:
406:, were only two of many sited along the South Coast. One of the more heavily armed batteries was at
277:
187:
475:
432:
284:
237:
148:
against France during the first decade of the 19th century. The Battery was also used by the
136:. They are a traditional observation point for Brixham trawler races, both past and present.
81:
686:
439:
225:
183:
167:
443:
248:
486:
344:
145:
467:
unless orders to the contrary were given by the port commander or higher authorities.
675:
415:
407:
360:
335:
The role of Brixham Battery, in conjunction with a similar battery at Corbyn Head,
316:
306:
241:
570:
390:
375:
harbour defence gun. The anti-aircraft defences at Brixham Battery consisted of a
352:
340:
179:
23:
596:
464:
435:, and manned by volunteer watchkeepers keeping a lookout for coastal dangers.
395:
356:
291:
273:
657:
644:
411:
276:, and as such was a very necessary port for the Navy, especially during the
240:" is a category of artillery weapons and the soldiers who operate them. The
175:
339:, was to defend all the beaches against landings. Beaches such as those at
364:
348:
403:
336:
327:
309:
160:
124:
634:
459:
312:
485:
389:
326:
182:
only seven remain. Of these Brixham Battery is the most complete.
367:. In addition to the 'big guns' the batteries were equipped with
474:
carrying a single 500 lb (230 kg) bomb, and later the
171:
305:
In a naval return of 13 March 1891 there had been a 64 pounder
629:
17:
478:
which carried a formidable 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb.
584:
refurbished it! The site is now owned by the National Trust.
427:. The battery observation post is let by the trust to the
319:
about where number five gun had been eighty years before.
283:
When France joined America in 1778 and Spain in 1779, the
712:
Artillery battery fortifications in the United Kingdom
402:
The Brixham Battery and a similar one at Corbyn Head,
207:
No.2 Gun Floor & War Shelter (B.O.P in background)
563:"Froward Point National Coastwatch Institution (NCI)"
48:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
166:Of the 116 emergency batteries built in 1940 from
315:at Furzham on 1 April 1889. This was mounted on
394:The Brownstone Battery complex from across the
8:
186:had surveyed the whole site and it is now a
630:Brixham Battery Heritage Group & Museum
482:Brixham Battery Heritage Group & Museum
707:World War II museums in the United Kingdom
108:Learn how and when to remove this message
504:
442:, the site was manned initially by the
197:
152:for gunnery training during the 1870s.
123:are an open space on the sea shore in
7:
46:adding citations to reliable sources
702:Military and war museums in England
331:40mm Bofors light anti-aircraft gun
121:Brixham Battery and Battery Gardens
14:
224:
219:Battery Observation Post (B.O.P)
212:
200:
22:
567:National Coastwatch Institution
429:National Coastwatch Institution
33:needs additional citations for
1:
682:Scheduled monuments in Devon
513:"Heritage Gateway - Results"
142:American War of Independence
456:4.7-inch (120 mm) guns
157:British Expeditionary Force
728:
517:www.heritagegateway.org.uk
163:after the fall of France.
343:, Livermead, Hollicombe,
144:during the 1780s and the
597:"History of the Battery"
300:Royal Garrison Artillery
635:Brixham Heritage Museum
542:historicengland.org.uk
491:
490:Brixham Battery Museum
399:
332:
489:
472:Messerschmitt Bf 109s
393:
330:
658:50.40202°N 3.52102°W
625:Annotated Google map
438:In 1940, during the
381:Unrotated Projectile
42:improve this article
654: /
373:6 pounder Hotchkiss
663:50.40202; -3.52102
492:
476:Focke-Wulf Fw 190s
400:
333:
278:American Civil War
188:scheduled monument
692:Coastal artillery
573:on 5 October 2011
433:NCI Froward Point
285:Board of Ordnance
118:
117:
110:
92:
57:"Brixham Battery"
719:
697:Museums in Devon
669:
668:
666:
665:
664:
659:
655:
652:
651:
650:
647:
612:
611:
609:
607:
593:
587:
586:
580:
578:
569:. Archived from
559:
553:
552:
550:
548:
534:
528:
527:
525:
523:
509:
440:Second World War
228:
216:
204:
184:English Heritage
135:
113:
106:
102:
99:
93:
91:
50:
26:
18:
727:
726:
722:
721:
720:
718:
717:
716:
672:
671:
662:
660:
656:
653:
648:
645:
643:
641:
640:
621:
616:
615:
605:
603:
601:Brixham Battery
595:
594:
590:
576:
574:
561:
560:
556:
546:
544:
536:
535:
531:
521:
519:
511:
510:
506:
501:
484:
444:Royal Artillery
420:Blackpool Sands
371:weaponry and a
325:
266:
261:
249:Royal Artillery
232:
229:
220:
217:
208:
205:
196:
131:
114:
103:
97:
94:
51:
49:
39:
27:
12:
11:
5:
725:
723:
715:
714:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
674:
673:
638:
637:
632:
627:
620:
619:External links
617:
614:
613:
588:
554:
529:
503:
502:
500:
497:
483:
480:
425:National Trust
383:projector and
324:
321:
307:muzzle loading
265:
262:
260:
257:
234:
233:
230:
223:
221:
218:
211:
209:
206:
199:
195:
192:
146:Napoleonic War
129:grid reference
116:
115:
30:
28:
21:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
724:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
679:
677:
670:
667:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
622:
618:
602:
598:
592:
589:
585:
572:
568:
564:
558:
555:
543:
539:
533:
530:
518:
514:
508:
505:
498:
496:
488:
481:
479:
477:
473:
468:
466:
461:
457:
452:
450:
445:
441:
436:
434:
430:
426:
421:
417:
416:Slapton Sands
413:
409:
408:Froward Point
405:
397:
392:
388:
386:
382:
378:
377:37 mm AA
374:
370:
369:anti-aircraft
366:
362:
358:
354:
350:
346:
342:
338:
329:
322:
320:
318:
314:
311:
308:
303:
301:
295:
293:
288:
286:
281:
279:
275:
269:
263:
258:
256:
254:
250:
245:
243:
239:
227:
222:
215:
210:
203:
198:
193:
191:
189:
185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
168:John O'Groats
164:
162:
158:
153:
151:
147:
143:
137:
134:
130:
126:
122:
112:
109:
101:
98:November 2012
90:
87:
83:
80:
76:
73:
69:
66:
62:
59: –
58:
54:
53:Find sources:
47:
43:
37:
36:
31:This article
29:
25:
20:
19:
16:
639:
604:. Retrieved
600:
591:
582:
575:. Retrieved
571:the original
557:
545:. Retrieved
541:
532:
520:. Retrieved
516:
507:
493:
469:
453:
437:
401:
361:Elberry Cove
334:
304:
296:
289:
282:
270:
267:
246:
242:World War II
235:
165:
154:
138:
120:
119:
104:
95:
85:
78:
71:
64:
52:
40:Please help
35:verification
32:
15:
661: /
577:11 December
431:, known as
385:40mm Bofors
353:Goodrington
341:Torre Abbey
231:The Altmark
194:The Battery
180:South Wales
150:Coast Guard
127:, Devon at
676:Categories
646:50°24′07″N
465:Royal Navy
449:Home Guard
396:River Dart
357:Broadsands
317:gun racers
292:Berry Head
274:Royal Navy
253:Home Guard
68:newspapers
649:3°31′16″W
412:Kingswear
323:1940–1945
264:1776–1890
178:, and to
176:Lands End
495:Museum.
379:gun, an
365:Lyme Bay
349:Paignton
133:SX920569
687:Brixham
606:8 April
547:8 April
522:8 April
460:E-boats
410:, near
404:Torquay
345:Preston
337:Torquay
259:History
238:battery
161:Dunkirk
125:Brixham
82:scholar
387:guns.
313:cannon
310:rifled
84:
77:
70:
63:
55:
499:Notes
174:, to
159:from
89:JSTOR
75:books
608:2024
579:2010
549:2024
524:2024
454:The
359:and
172:Kent
61:news
418:or
236:A "
170:to
44:by
678::
599:.
581:.
565:.
540:.
515:.
355:,
351:,
347:,
302:.
280:.
255:.
190:.
610:.
551:.
526:.
111:)
105:(
100:)
96:(
86:·
79:·
72:·
65:·
38:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
