# Brownhill Battery, Plymouth - June '09



## Badoosh (Jun 21, 2009)

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.


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## Darkness (Jun 21, 2009)

Brilliant shots there dude, looks like a great explore and seems to be more there than at first glance!


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## GeorgieKirrin (Jun 22, 2009)

Any luck figuring out what that circular hole was?


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## graybags (Jun 22, 2009)

*mm*

Nice report and pics Paul

That circular hole is weird though !

G


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## night crawler (Jun 22, 2009)

Good report, might be worth revisiting in the winter when the undergrowth has died back. May be able to see more.


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## Badoosh (Jun 22, 2009)

Darkness said:


> Brilliant shots there dude, looks like a great explore and seems to be more there than at first glance!




Cheers dude. It's only a small place, but interestingly diffrent to the other batteries around Plymouth.




laurabops said:


> Any luck figuring out what that circular hole was?




Still baffled on that one 




graybags said:


> Nice report and pics Paul
> 
> That circular hole is weird though !
> 
> G




Thanks G. That hole sure is a mystery!




night crawler said:


> Good report, might be worth revisiting in the winter when the undergrowth has died back. May be able to see more.




Without a doubt it will be revisited in winter, with the aim of finding the gun platforms & reaching the observation post.


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## Black Shuck (Jun 22, 2009)

Nice one mate I like that Magazine. It looks very high up though, I would have been cacking my britches!


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## extrogg (Jun 22, 2009)

Good pics and post mate..never knew that was there! Does it pre date the palmerston forts?

Thats another fort ticked off the list!


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## Badoosh (Jun 22, 2009)

extrogg said:


> Good pics and post mate..never knew that was there! Does it pre date the palmerston forts?
> 
> Thats another fort ticked off the list!




It was built around the same time as Staddon Fort to protect the eastward land , but the Bovisand defences were already in place. I never tire of seeing these sites, with their varied conditions & current uses.


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## graybags (Jun 22, 2009)

*I like this place*

Andy, this is one of those sites that creeps up on you, I knew it existed but forgot all about it, then one day whilst exploring another site, saw the magazine from the road and Bingo !

But Paul did the magazine , with the weird circular hole, and i haven't seen it yet, so about time for a revisit !

G


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## extrogg (Jun 22, 2009)

Looks like the sort of place you could just stumble across!! Let me know when you are going..


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## Foxylady (Jun 23, 2009)

Excellent find, guys...lots there to see by the look of it. The magazines are great!


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## Badoosh (Jun 24, 2009)

Foxylady said:


> Excellent find, guys...lots there to see by the look of it. The magazines are great!



Thanks Foxy. I think another visit is in order to get to the hidden stuff, oh & find some more golf balls lol.


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