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Plymouth Blockhouse, Firestone Bay

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Winter Villa; The Artillery Tower

In the civil parish of Plymouth.
In the historic county of Devonshire.
Modern Authority of Plymouth; City of.
1974 county of Devon.
Medieval County of Devon.

OS Map Grid Reference: SX46375352
Latitude 50.36147° Longitude -4.16120°

Plymouth Blockhouse, Firestone Bay has been described as a certain Artillery Fort.

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*.

Description

Blockhouse tower for coastal defence. 1537-39, remodelled in the C19. Stone rubble with some granite dressings; flat roof behind embattled parapet. Polygonal plan, extended to the north-west in the C19. 2 storeys; irregularly-disposed openings, some windows enlarged from former gun loops. Original openings include chamfered 2-centred arched doorway to landward side and some original gun loops including some to the centres of some of the merlons. (Listed Building Report)

Firestone Bay Artillery Tower is part of a system of coastal defence dating from the time Henry VIII 1537-9 and is the best preserved of the towers. It is a 7-sided embattled tower of stone rubble with embrasures, loopholes and an old doorway.
The artillery tower was probably built in the late 15th or early 16th century as a blockhouse as part of the Edgecumbe family's defences of the harbour. In 1540 it is depicted as a two-storeyed polygonal tower with gun embrasures on two floors. By 1857 it had become a coastguard watch-house. In 1891-6 it was converted to public conveniences, and was converted into a restaurant in the late 20th century. (PastScape)
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Sources of information, references and further reading
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This record last updated 26/07/2017 09:22:04

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