Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Cawsand Fort
Hob Uid: 437660
Location : Cornwall Maker-with-Rame
Grid Ref : SX4333050350
Summary : The remains of a late 18th century battery, superseded by and incorporated within a mid 19th century fort and battery with associated glacis. Historical sources provide details of a battery of 1779. A pair of granite sett gun platforms provide the only visible remains of the 1779 battery, although below ground remains will survive. In 1860 construction started on a new fort and battery following a recommendation of 1858 that it it should be built to defend against ships entering Cawsand Bay. A boundary stone on the north east side of the fort, one of a number which indicated the extent of the War Department property, reads W-D 1867 and has been taken as indicating that the fort was completed in that year. The fort of 1860 includes a substantial loopholed curtain wall of limestone ashlar which mostly survives for its entire circuit. Inside the fort are seven gun positions on the seaward face, most retaining elements of their racer rails and two retaining central pivots of reused canon. Lying within the array of gun positions is a partly sunken earth covered expense magazine with surviving alcoves and shelving. A further expense magazine lies just to the south of the seaward gun positions. The main underground magazine is located in the centre of the fort under a traverse cavalier. Mounted on top of the cavalier are four granite gun platforms. The southern curtain wall of the fort has incorporated on its inner face a row of former barracks, which are Listed Grade II, and have been converted into dwellings as has the demi-bastion and caponier on the south west corner. Scheduled.
More information : (SX 43335036) Cawsand Battery (NAT). (1) Battery at Cawsand built 1858-63 involving the destruction of three redoubts occupied in 1779. These were called 'Bulwarks' by Gilbert ('Bullworks on tithe map), who records the site as a ruined fortification in use previous to the batteries on Master Heights. The existing battery is an enclosed work which mounted nine guns facing the sea and fourteen on the land side. It was never re-armed with more modern weapons and in 1974 was a private residence. See map with SX 45 SE 31. (2-6) Scheduled and listed. (7,8) A small battery mounting nine 68-pounder guns on the sea face and fourteen 7" and 8" Armstrong guns on the land face. (9) History and description of the site which remains largely complete, part of site being converted to private homes. The only remains of the earlier battery ar two granite gun platforms sited within the later fort. These face due east over the bay and are behind and raised above the later fort wall. (10) COASTAL FORT. SRF, with 2 photographs Recorder- A. Harvey. (11)

Sources :

Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : The two databases developed by the Project can be searched on-line through the Archaeology Data Service at http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/specColl/dob/index.cfm
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : OS 6" 1971
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 8
Source :
Source details : 21/08/1997
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 9
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 90-1
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 11, 1983

Source Number : 10
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 69
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 2
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 182
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 3
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 73
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 13 (1974)

Source Number : 3a
Source :
Source details : Duke of Richmond's Survey of Plymouth 1784-6 (British Museum; copy held at Plymouth Central Library)
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 3b
Source :
Source details : Tithe App 100
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 4
Source :
Source details : Gilbert C S. 1820. Historical Survey of Cornwall, 382
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 5
Source :
Source details : HMSO. Report on Fortifications 1869, 44
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 6
Source :
Source details : HMSO. Report on Defences 1860, map
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 7
Source :
Source details : Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : Part 8

Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : 1779
Monument End Date : 1779
Monument Start Date : 1779
Monument Type : Coastal Battery
Evidence : Structure, Sub Surface Deposit

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Constructed 1860 to 1867
Monument End Date : 1867
Monument Start Date : 1860
Monument Type : Coastal Battery, Barracks, Magazine, Curtain Wall, Loopholed Wall, Bastion, Boundary Stone, Caponier
Evidence : Extant Building, Structure

Monument Period Name : 20th Century
Display Date : From 1926
Monument End Date :
Monument Start Date : 1926
Monument Type : House
Evidence : Extant Building

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : NBR Index Number
External Cross Reference Number : 86495
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 29617
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : CO 911
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Listed Building List Entry Legacy Uid
External Cross Reference Number : 61887
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : DoB Non Anti Invasion Database UID
External Cross Reference Number : 564
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SX 45 SW 9
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Related Activities :

Historic England Research Records

Cawsand Fort