# St Anthony Head Coastal Battery, Cornwall



## Badoosh (Sep 19, 2010)

It's been an age since i posted a thread, January to be precise, but i've still been exploring & taken in over 50 sites since, but for a number of reasons didn't get round to posting stuff up here. This is an exception as i don't believe it has appeared on any forums yet.

History is, well, let's just say no way near as much i'd like to write but it's one that i am certainly working on & will hopefully bring this up to date sooner rather than later.

Myself & the missus decided to take full advantage of the Heritage Open Days last weekend & amongst the visits was this one to the Roseland Peninsular to take in the Coastal Gun Battery at St Anthony Head. Time permitting, we would have visited the defences at St Mawes too but got distracted with more "unofficial" explorations around the area. The day was an absolute scorcher for weather unlike the time we visited Predannack, & those who have been to the area on a dull day will know what i mean!

St Anthony Head Battery was constructed in the 1880's, to protect the approaches to the River Fal, & i would assume to support the more fortified defences of Pendennis & St Mawes Castle, both of which can easily be seen from the battery just across the estuary.

The area was a training ground during WWI & during WWII it's armament consisted of two 6" guns & a 3 pounder gun lower down the cliff towards St Mawes. Light AA guns were also onsite during this period & probably consisted of a pair of Bofors.

The guns were removed in the 1950's, & afterwards, both emplacements infilled & some buildings demolished. This like many other sites around the UK, was in the belief that nobody would be interested in such structures at the time. Today, it is looked after by volunteers of the National Trust & what's left is being lovingly restored with the hope that this will eventually be open to the public 3 or 4 times a year.




Aerial shot of St Anthony Head Battery, 1942.







Site of the former NAAFI. Now the NT car park for many a walker.





Former Officer's Quarters, now holiday homes





One of the 6" gun emplacements





Entrance to the Easterly gun emplacement, now infilled, but hopefully to be dug out in the future.





View from the top of the gun emplacements to Pendennis Castle...





....& to St Mawes Castle





Recently unearthed shell lift hatch next to the Westerly gun emplacement





Depression Range Finder





Entrance to the underground rooms of the two emplacements. In the background the white building is the former shell store (now public toilets)





Underground shots...the shifting lobby, with some fantastic original posters & signage

















War Dept ironmongery on the shiftin lobby doors













Images from the Filled Shell Stores, Shell Lifts & Cartridge Lifts


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## muppet1992 (Sep 19, 2010)

looks great dude, some nice pictures, been looking through a few of your threads, you've got some nice pics and some great finds dude, thanks for sharing them. j


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## Badoosh (Sep 19, 2010)

Having a few issues with Photobucket uploading, but will get the rest up ASAP.


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## night crawler (Sep 19, 2010)

Great report on the place and good to see some of it has been kept.


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## Urban Mole (Sep 19, 2010)

Thats really nice to see, its sort of being looked after and restored, but not too much, which I think is the best way, should see more restorations like this one.


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## Foxylady (Sep 19, 2010)

I'm impressed with how much they've managed to salvage and restore. Some really interesting bits and pieces too. Nice one, Badoosh. 
Btw, did you get any good carnival piccies? Mine were total bollocks but I managed to resurrect a few.


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## Badoosh (Sep 19, 2010)

The last few images from here...

Some original grafitti inside the magazines, toting up the shell count presumably









The Battery Observation Post, with some intresting original fittings & fixtures such as the steel door, drain pipes & wooden fittings for the rifle racks.














Panoramic view from inside the BOP





Foxhole just south of the BOP





View from inside the ditch with the BOP to the left & the 1885 Bastion to the right





Cables running from the guns down to the searchlight postions. The searchlights was the only part of the site we didn't get down to.





Finally, a couple of images of a section of the unclimbable fence. Certainly one of the best preserved sections i have seen from many of the sites i have visited.














I really enjoyed this visit & look forward to a revisit in the future. It reminded me so much of Lentney Battery near Plymouth, just in better condition. Once i find more history on this site i will post it up.

Thanks for looking!


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## Badoosh (Sep 19, 2010)

Foxylady said:


> I'm impressed with how much they've managed to salvage and restore. Some really interesting bits and pieces too. Nice one, Badoosh.
> Btw, did you get any good carnival piccies? Mine were total bollocks but I managed to resurrect a few.



Hey Foxy, hope you are well. Got some OKish pics of the carnival but not many. I loved Branscombe pillboxes though with the original range signage on the wall. Back over your way soon so we will have to hook up for a coffee & a mooch  Maybe a revisit to a certain quarry close-by?


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## Foxylady (Sep 19, 2010)

Badoosh said:


> ... I loved Branscombe pillboxes though with the original range signage on the wall. Back over your way soon so we will have to hook up for a coffee & a mooch  Maybe a revisit to a certain quarry close-by?


Ah, I didn't go inside the Branscombe one as it was guarded by cows when I went and one was literally inside. Lol. I'll have to have a look when I'm next over there.
Yup, give us a bell. There are three quarries to choose from, but you know me and quarries so any will do.


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## graybags (Sep 19, 2010)

*Sweet*

Nice post Mr D ! 

G


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## stuck247 (Sep 21, 2010)

Nice group of photos Badoosh....good to see that some of these places are still looked after and open to public view


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## hydealfred (Sep 24, 2010)

Good report - nice to see so many original features in place.


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