FORT SCOVESTON
This place is a fully camouflaged massive fort, even from a hundred yards away you would not see it on the landscape. Fully overgrown with foilage its a hidden piece of history with lots of charm.
Commenced August 1861 Completed April 1864
Cost £45,462
Northern Line Defences
Type – Land Front Polygonal
Ditch - Dry
Guns 32
Barrack Accommodation 128
ARMAMENT
Intended 32 guns but no armament shown on 1886 and 1889 returns. Some reports state ‘never armed’.
Technical History
This fort was originally intended to be the central work of the Northern line defences of Milford Haven consisting of six works covering the northern land approach.
A hexagonal work with sides 130 yards in length, it is surrounded by a dry ditch 36 feet wide at the bottom with an escarp of masonry 22 feet high. The counterscarp is cut from natural rock. It is flanked with one double and four single caponiers on two stories with access over a rolling bridge and tunnel through the gorge. The work is enclosed by a rampart with chemin des rondes, covered way and glacis. It was planned to mount 32 guns on the ramparts and had accommodation for 128 men in bomb proof barrack rooms, together with a main magazine and stores. The rear faces are protected from reverse fire by a parados and a traverse thrown across the interior parade.
For most of it’s life it served as barrack accommodation or stood empty under a caretaker.. During WW1 the fort became the main camp for troops manning extensive trenches and field works between Weare Point and Port Lion. A large number of hutments were constructed within and outside the fort to serve a training and transit camp. It was abandoned after WW1 and was sold to the local farmer in October 1932 for £1,400. During WW11 it saw active service once more as an AA gun battery and was used by the locals as an unofficial air raid shelter. It was used to store large quantities of ammunition during the build up to the Normandy Landings.
It is now derelict and overgrown as the pictures show.
Suicide at the fort.
Coroner slams national press
From the archive, first published Thursday 29th Sep 2005.
THERE is absolutely no evidence to link the suicide of a popular doctor with the death of a woman he had treated, an inquest has heard.
Several national newspapers carried reports suggesting 44-year-old Dr Paul Goodson, from Crundale, chose to take his own life because of the death of Mrs Alison Webster.
The 23-year-old mum died in hospital the day after Dr Goodson had seen her at her home in Sageston, as the doctor on duty in the `Care on Call' system.
But the inquest into Dr Goodson's death heard that there was no evidence that he even knew Mrs Webster had died, let alone felt guilty. The suicide note made no mention of Mrs Webster, or any problems with patients.
The Pembrokeshire coroner Mr Michael Howells said that because of the publicity, the inquest would go into more detail than was customary, and after recording a verdict of death by self-administered drug overdose, the coroner criticised the press for their speculation.
"The cause of [Dr Goodson] taking his own life was, according to the note, unrelated to the death of Mrs Webster.
"If anything could be done to expunge the idea he was suffering from a guilt complex about Mrs Webster's death, perhaps this inquest would resolve that issue."
Mr Howells went on: "The circumstances of the publicity arising from this death have caused me considerable concern.
"I don't want to be pompous and talk about contempt of court, but the reports make it clear that inquests had been opened, yet no attempt was made to make contact with my office to ascertain the circumstances.
"What's happened is that they have put two and two together and made five.
"It would not surprise me in the least if someone decided to make a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission."
The inquest heard that Mr Goodson's body was found by farmer Peter Lloyd at Scoveston Fort on August 10.
He had hanged himself, but had also injected himself with a lethal dose of morphine. Almost nothing said in the inquest gave any indication as to why Dr Goodson - described by Mr Howells as "a fine and respected member of his practice" - had taken his own life.
His widow, Bethan, and Dr John Davies, Dr Goodson's partner in the Law Street practice, both testified to the effect that in all their contact with him in the time leading up to his death, Dr Goodson had seemed fine.
On the night before his death, he had even researched flights on the internet in preparation for a forthcoming family holiday.
The pathologist who carried out the post mortem reported that Dr Goodson was known to suffer from depression, although Mr Howells commented: "I don't know how he knows that."
The inquest into Mrs Webster's death, which had also been scheduled for last Thursday, has been adjourned for further investigations.
The coroner hastened to add that those investiations had nothing to do with Dr Goodson.
The magazine room is massive.
Flanking Gallery
The Barracks
Mini Magazine
Entrance Tunnel
Two of the three underground Levels
More technical info and images at www.silverstealth.co.uk
This place is a fully camouflaged massive fort, even from a hundred yards away you would not see it on the landscape. Fully overgrown with foilage its a hidden piece of history with lots of charm.
Commenced August 1861 Completed April 1864
Cost £45,462
Northern Line Defences
Type – Land Front Polygonal
Ditch - Dry
Guns 32
Barrack Accommodation 128
ARMAMENT
Intended 32 guns but no armament shown on 1886 and 1889 returns. Some reports state ‘never armed’.
Technical History
This fort was originally intended to be the central work of the Northern line defences of Milford Haven consisting of six works covering the northern land approach.
A hexagonal work with sides 130 yards in length, it is surrounded by a dry ditch 36 feet wide at the bottom with an escarp of masonry 22 feet high. The counterscarp is cut from natural rock. It is flanked with one double and four single caponiers on two stories with access over a rolling bridge and tunnel through the gorge. The work is enclosed by a rampart with chemin des rondes, covered way and glacis. It was planned to mount 32 guns on the ramparts and had accommodation for 128 men in bomb proof barrack rooms, together with a main magazine and stores. The rear faces are protected from reverse fire by a parados and a traverse thrown across the interior parade.
For most of it’s life it served as barrack accommodation or stood empty under a caretaker.. During WW1 the fort became the main camp for troops manning extensive trenches and field works between Weare Point and Port Lion. A large number of hutments were constructed within and outside the fort to serve a training and transit camp. It was abandoned after WW1 and was sold to the local farmer in October 1932 for £1,400. During WW11 it saw active service once more as an AA gun battery and was used by the locals as an unofficial air raid shelter. It was used to store large quantities of ammunition during the build up to the Normandy Landings.
It is now derelict and overgrown as the pictures show.
Suicide at the fort.
Coroner slams national press
From the archive, first published Thursday 29th Sep 2005.
THERE is absolutely no evidence to link the suicide of a popular doctor with the death of a woman he had treated, an inquest has heard.
Several national newspapers carried reports suggesting 44-year-old Dr Paul Goodson, from Crundale, chose to take his own life because of the death of Mrs Alison Webster.
The 23-year-old mum died in hospital the day after Dr Goodson had seen her at her home in Sageston, as the doctor on duty in the `Care on Call' system.
But the inquest into Dr Goodson's death heard that there was no evidence that he even knew Mrs Webster had died, let alone felt guilty. The suicide note made no mention of Mrs Webster, or any problems with patients.
The Pembrokeshire coroner Mr Michael Howells said that because of the publicity, the inquest would go into more detail than was customary, and after recording a verdict of death by self-administered drug overdose, the coroner criticised the press for their speculation.
"The cause of [Dr Goodson] taking his own life was, according to the note, unrelated to the death of Mrs Webster.
"If anything could be done to expunge the idea he was suffering from a guilt complex about Mrs Webster's death, perhaps this inquest would resolve that issue."
Mr Howells went on: "The circumstances of the publicity arising from this death have caused me considerable concern.
"I don't want to be pompous and talk about contempt of court, but the reports make it clear that inquests had been opened, yet no attempt was made to make contact with my office to ascertain the circumstances.
"What's happened is that they have put two and two together and made five.
"It would not surprise me in the least if someone decided to make a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission."
The inquest heard that Mr Goodson's body was found by farmer Peter Lloyd at Scoveston Fort on August 10.
He had hanged himself, but had also injected himself with a lethal dose of morphine. Almost nothing said in the inquest gave any indication as to why Dr Goodson - described by Mr Howells as "a fine and respected member of his practice" - had taken his own life.
His widow, Bethan, and Dr John Davies, Dr Goodson's partner in the Law Street practice, both testified to the effect that in all their contact with him in the time leading up to his death, Dr Goodson had seemed fine.
On the night before his death, he had even researched flights on the internet in preparation for a forthcoming family holiday.
The pathologist who carried out the post mortem reported that Dr Goodson was known to suffer from depression, although Mr Howells commented: "I don't know how he knows that."
The inquest into Mrs Webster's death, which had also been scheduled for last Thursday, has been adjourned for further investigations.
The coroner hastened to add that those investiations had nothing to do with Dr Goodson.
The magazine room is massive.
Flanking Gallery
The Barracks
Mini Magazine
Entrance Tunnel
Two of the three underground Levels
More technical info and images at www.silverstealth.co.uk
