Scraesdon Fort
Encyclopedia
Scraesdon Fort, near the village of Antony
, is one of several of the forts in South East Cornwall
which formed part of the ring of forts surrounding Plymouth to protect Plymouth Sound
and, in particular, Plymouth docks from enemy naval attack. They were built as a result of a decision
in Lord Palmerston's premiership to deter the French from attacking naval bases in the south of England.
Scraesdon Fort was designed in 1859 at a cost of £137,000. It is constructed in the Land Front, polygonal
, near octagonal format. It has a dry ditch, and was designed to have twenty seven 7-inch breech loading guns on the ramparts, although only eight were ever mounted.
The upper level is 254ft above mean sea level (AMSL) and the lower level is 173 feet AMSL.
The fort was used by the MOD
as a training barracks, but it is currently empty, derelict and overgrown. It was used to train Royal Navy Artificer Apprentices from HMS Fisgard and HMS Raleigh; it is occasionally used now by Royal Marine Commandos
recruits as part of their final exercise, as well as being used by local Territorial Army units. The fort is also used for airsoft events on an ad hoc basis.
A military railway connected the fort with the River Lynher
at Wacker Quay, near St. Germans. It also provided a link to the main fort on the Rame peninsula
at Fort Tregantle
. The railway ran underneath the metal bridge (as seen in the picture on the right) and down a gradient, then went underneath the current A374 road
, and alongside Wacker Quay. The locomotive shed is still extant on the quayside, and other remnants of the railway can also be seen here. There was also an extensive marshalling area next to the east wall in the lower picture. The railway was used from 1893 to 1903.
Antony, Cornwall
Antony is a coastal civil parish and a village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.The village is situated on the Rame Peninsula about three miles west of Torpoint and has a shop, a pub and a garage....
, is one of several of the forts in South East Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
which formed part of the ring of forts surrounding Plymouth to protect Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound, or locally just The Sound, is a bay at Plymouth in England.Its southwest and southeast corners are Penlee Point in Cornwall and Wembury Point on Devon, a distance of about 3 nautical miles . Its northern limit is Plymouth Hoe giving a north-south distance of nearly 3 nautical miles...
and, in particular, Plymouth docks from enemy naval attack. They were built as a result of a decision
Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom
In 1859 Lord Palmerston instigated the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom because of serious concerns that France might attempt to invade the UK...
in Lord Palmerston's premiership to deter the French from attacking naval bases in the south of England.
Scraesdon Fort was designed in 1859 at a cost of £137,000. It is constructed in the Land Front, polygonal
Polygonal fort
A polygonal fort is a fortification in the style that evolved around the middle of the nineteenth century, in response to the development of powerful explosive shells....
, near octagonal format. It has a dry ditch, and was designed to have twenty seven 7-inch breech loading guns on the ramparts, although only eight were ever mounted.
The upper level is 254ft above mean sea level (AMSL) and the lower level is 173 feet AMSL.
The fort was used by the MOD
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
as a training barracks, but it is currently empty, derelict and overgrown. It was used to train Royal Navy Artificer Apprentices from HMS Fisgard and HMS Raleigh; it is occasionally used now by Royal Marine Commandos
3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...
recruits as part of their final exercise, as well as being used by local Territorial Army units. The fort is also used for airsoft events on an ad hoc basis.
A military railway connected the fort with the River Lynher
River Lynher
The River Lynher flows through east Cornwall, UK, passing St Germans and enters the River Tamar at the Hamoaze, which in turn flows into Plymouth Sound.-Geography:...
at Wacker Quay, near St. Germans. It also provided a link to the main fort on the Rame peninsula
Rame Peninsula
The Rame Peninsula is a peninsula in south-east Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. The peninsula is surrounded by the English Channel to the south, Plymouth Sound to the east, and the estuary of the River Lynher to the north...
at Fort Tregantle
Fort Tregantle
Tregantle Fort in south east Cornwall is one of several forts surrounding Plymouth that were built as a result of a decision in Lord Palmerston's premiership to deter the French from attacking naval bases on the Channel coast.-History:...
. The railway ran underneath the metal bridge (as seen in the picture on the right) and down a gradient, then went underneath the current A374 road
A374 road
The A374 is a main road in the United Kingdom, one of six A-roads making the border crossing between Devon and Cornwall. It is the most southerly of the A37x group of roads, starting and ending its journey with the A38 trunk road, from the outskirts of Plymouth in Devon to the Trerulefoot...
, and alongside Wacker Quay. The locomotive shed is still extant on the quayside, and other remnants of the railway can also be seen here. There was also an extensive marshalling area next to the east wall in the lower picture. The railway was used from 1893 to 1903.