# Raleigh Battery, Torpoint (near Plymouth), Cornwall, July 2019



## HughieD (Sep 6, 2019)

*1. The History*
Constructed between March 1890 and August 1894, this coastal defence barbette battery cost £4,963 to construct back in the day (about £600,000 in today's money). Originally intended to be a single 17-inch B.L. gun this counter bombardment battery was constructed between Hawkins battery and due-east of Maker Farm, on sloping land facing the sea, consisting of two 10-inch B.L. guns, one on an Elswick Ordnance Company Barbette mounting, the other on a Royal Carriage Department barbette mounting. They were located here to prevent ships lying at anchor off Cawsand Bay and to support Picklecombe Fort guarding approaches to Plymouth Sound.

The guns were side-by-side, separated by an underground magazines stores and linked by a tunnel that slopes down underneath a central earth traverse. There was one magazine to the north of the tunnel and two carriage stores (each with its own serving hatch) to the south. Each gun emplacement had an R.A. store, cartridge recess, a shell recess and a shelter for the gun crew, all built into the concrete gun apron. To the right of the right-hand gun emplacement was a water catchment area and tank. The caretaker’s office was on the opposite side which consisted of two bedrooms, a living room and a scullery. In between both of these were two Depression Range Finders (DRFs). Behind the left-hand battery was an oil store. There were no barracks and the battery was manned only at times of need.

Plan of Raleigh Battery:


Screenshot_20180724-222436_Drive by HughieDW, on Flickr

The guns remained in-situ until 1908 after which they were placed in reserve. They were dismantled two years later in 1910. The MOD finally abandoned the site completely in 1946.

*2. The Explore*
Revisit almost a year to the day I last came here. Was nearby having been to Cremyll plus I wasn't 100% happy with my previous pictures so popping by was a no-brainer. There's a number of batteries around the Plym coastline but this one is one of my faves due to its secluded rural location and the fact it's not been trashed by the idiots. There appears to have been a bit of work been done on clearing the vegetation back a little but the battery still hasn't lost its abandoned charm. It's still used by the farmer as the right-hand battery with the Royal Carriage Department barbette mounting has a number of beehives in it.

*3. The Pictures*

Let's start at the eastern end of the battery.

The right-hand battery with the Royal Carriage Department barbette mounting:


img1917 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1927 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1919 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1920 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1922 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1926 by HughieDW, on Flickr

I think this is something to do with the catchment and tank system:


img1925 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This is the tunnel that has links the two gun emplacements and has the underground magazines off:


img1928 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Raleigh 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1932 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1937 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Off the tunnel to the south is Filled Shell Store No.1:


img1944 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This is then subdivided into two magazines off a short corridor:


img1939 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Magazine No.1:


img1941 by HughieDW, on Flickr]


img1942 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Magazine No.2:


img1940 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1943 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Back on the main tunnel to the north is the single room of Filled Share Store No.2:


Raleigh 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Onto the western end of the battery:


Raleigh 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This small building is the oil store:


Raleigh 03 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1950 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1957 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Raleigh 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Raleigh 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr

One of the two Depression Range Finders:


img1965 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Finally, onto the caretaker's quarters:


Raleigh 07 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Raleigh 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Manufacturer's stamp on the bricks (G.Jennings, Poole, Dorset) 

https://poolemuseumsociety.wordpress.com/2014/06/14/george-jennings-and-the-growth-of-parkstone/


Raleigh 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1968 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1974 by HughieDW, on Flickr

There's a lead water tank round the back still:


img1973 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## theartist (Sep 6, 2019)

nature appears to be taking back the site. lovely brickwork..here in kent some sites are being cleaned up and made safe by NT. a slow process but better than nowt.


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## HughieD (Sep 6, 2019)

theartist said:


> nature appears to be taking back the site. lovely brickwork..here in kent some sites are being cleaned up and made safe by NT. a slow process but better than nowt.



Given how good the brick-work looks in the tunnel I was wondering if it had been cleaned up...


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## Dirus_Strictus (Sep 6, 2019)

The water tank is still there because it is your bog standard; riveted galvanised iron, 100 gal item - worth nothing really. If it had been made from lead (which is almost impossible to rivet into a water tight container), it would have gone walkies decades ago!


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## HughieD (Sep 8, 2019)

Dirus_Strictus said:


> The water tank is still there because it is your bog standard; riveted galvanised iron, 100 gal item - worth nothing really. If it had been made from lead (which is almost impossible to rivet into a water tight container), it would have gone walkies decades ago!



Ooops! Schoolboy error. You're very right Dirus.


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## Newage (Sep 11, 2019)

The place is a real cracker.

Cheers Newage


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## HughieD (Sep 11, 2019)

Newage said:


> The place is a real cracker.
> 
> Cheers Newage



Innit it just mate? You've been right? EDIT: just seen your post.


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