Scoveston Fort

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Scoveston Fort
The sealed entrance to Scoveston Fort - geograph.org.uk - 1431588.jpg
The sealed entrance of Scoveston Fort
Scoveston Fort
Type Fortification
Location Llanstadwell
Nearest city Milford Haven
Coordinates 51°43′14″N4°58′39″W / 51.7205°N 4.9776°W / 51.7205; -4.9776
Built1861-1868 [1]
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated10 November 2004
Reference no.83214

Scoveston Fort, on the northern shore of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales, U.K., is a Grade II listed building which is part of a series of forts built as the inner line of defence of the Haven following the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom.

Contents

Location

Built on a low hill to the north-east of the town of Milford Haven on Llanstadwell parish, it stands some 600 m north-west of Little Honeyborough and approximately 1 km north-east of Waterston. It commands views of the surrounding countryside. [1] [2]

Description

The fort is shaped as a very large hexagon — similar to Crownhill Fort at Plymouth —, of which each side is 120 m long. It is surrounded by a dry moat about 8 m deep and 11 m wide [1] (36-foot-wide escarpment [3] ). The escarp walls are stone-revetted, the counterscarp is natural rock. [1]

There is only one entry, on the south side. The fort was approached by a serpentine road to a wooden bridge, the latter now replaced by an earth causeway. The entry is a stone archway into a tunnel through a massive earth bank. The moat was covered by one double and four single two-storey caponnieres, each with 4-gun embrasures and musketry loopholes. [1]

The fort was meant to have 32 guns placed on the ramparts, served by 12 expense magazines set into the traverses, each gun position protected from behind by earth. There was also an earth bank across the centre of the parade ground. Accommodation for a garrison of 128 men was in the five caponnieres and 12 barrel-vaulted bomb-proof casemates, designed as a series of limestone vaults fronted in brick with windows and doors on the south front (similar to barracks at Fort Hubberstone). The magazine was under the north-west rampart. Two barrel-vaulted underground chambers were served by a lighting and ventilation passageway that surround it. [1] A large traverse was erected across the length of the interior parade ground. Entrance to the fort is via a drawbridge and a tunnel through a small gorge. [3]

Cost and the declining requirement for forts in the twentieth century meant that guns were never installed. [3]

History

Protecting the Haven: the premices

From Vikings in the 9th century to Normans at the end of the 11th century, Owain Glyndwr and his French mercenaries in 1405, and Henry Tudor in 1485, the Haven has been used recurrently over the centuries to set foot on the British island. [4] Despite this, the area had to wait until 1539 for work to start on a pair of blockhouses, one on each side of the Haven entrance. [5] Pembrokeshire writer George Owen proposed in 1595 the construction of a defensive triangle in the Haven, with forts on Thorne Island at Angle, Stack Rock in the centre of the waterway, and Dale Point; but this was costly, and was also abandoned. Pill Fort, a small armed camp outside Milford, was built by the Royalists during the first English Civil War (1642 to 1646) but was taken in 1643 by the Roundhead (Parliament supporter) Rowland Laugharne. After England declared war on France (Seven Years' War, 1756-1763), the area received some more attention: [4] in an Admiralty paper of 19 September 1757, "Mr Pitt, Principal Secretary of State, has informed the Admiralty that the Master General of Ordnance says that Lieutenant Colonel Bastide reports that a floating battery made of an old gunship will help to secure Milford Haven.....". [6] Bastide suggested the building of six forts. That plan was deemed too expensive and dismissed in favour of a revised proposal for just three forts. Work began on a fort at Paterchurch Point (beside Paterchurch Tower) in 1758 but was never completed, as the war with France was over before completion. Then, in 1814 Pembroke Dockyard was founded at Paterchurch and required protection, so the forts on the Haven banks were completed [4] as part of the Palmerston fortifications. [7]

Scoveston Fort

Scoveston fort was meant to defend the harbour of Milford Haven. [7] There was an inner Haven ring — covering potential attacks from Milford Haven Waterway — with Popton Fort, South Hook Fort, Fort Hubberstone, Chapel Bay Fort, and the remodelled Stack Rock Fort. Another line of defence was supposed to cover attacks from the north with a line of inland forts extending from Newton Noyes (by the now decommissioned Royal Naval Armaments Depot of Milford Haven) to Burton Mountain (east of Neyland). [8] Of that inland line, only Scoveston Fort was built. [9] Construction started in 1861 and completed in 1864 [9] or 1868, [1] [8] at a cost of £45,462. [1]

It was never garrisoned, and was used mainly as a training camp for volunteers and militia. [10]

World War I saw increased activity in the fort. In order to protect the dockyards of Milford Haven, Neyland and Pembroke Dock, a complex system of trenches was built in the land surrounding the fort to ward against land based attack. The trench system ran from Waterston to Llangwm. [10]

During World War II, it was used as an air raid shelter by residents of Neyland. It was later used as a warehouse to store munitions in readiness for D-Day. [10] During peace time it was left empty, under the care of a single caretaker. [11]
It was revealed following his conviction that serial killer John Cooper had visited the fort and had deposited items which he had stolen from nearby properties, and implements he had used to restrain victims. [12]
In August 2005, a local doctor committed suicide close to the fort. [13]

Protection

Scoveston Fort was listed as a Grade II Heritage building on November 10, 2004. [1] [14]

The fort is currently in an overgrown state, and not accessible to the public.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milford Haven</span> Town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Milford Haven is both a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pembroke Dock</span> Town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Pembroke Dock is a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Pembroke on the banks of the River Cleddau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neyland</span> Town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Neyland is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales, lying on the River Cleddau and the upstream end of the Milford Haven estuary. The Cleddau Bridge carrying the A477 links Pembroke Dock with Neyland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Hubberstone</span>

Fort Hubberstone, on the west side of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, is a Grade II* Listed Building which belongs to a series of forts built as part of the inner line of defence of the Haven following the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom. Together with Popton Fort on the opposite shore, it provided an interlocking field of fire, and represented the last layer of defence before reaching the Royal Naval dockyard at Pembroke Dock. Construction began in 1860 and was completed in 1863 at a cost of £55,000. It is a large battery, with eleven guns in casemates, eight in an open battery above, with another nine in an open flank battery, and a large barracks to the rear. It is a D-shaped structure, with a bomb-proof roof which protected the barracks and other buildings from mortar projectiles. On its landward side, it was protected by a deep ditch, and on the seaward side by a counter-scarp gallery. The associated casemate battery is located further down the headland and separated from the fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale Fort</span> 19th-century coastal fort in Wales

Dale Fort is a mid-19th-century coastal artillery fort at Dale Head, a rocky promontory near Dale, Pembrokeshire, west of Milford Haven in Wales. It is one of the centres run by Field Studies Council and offers residential and non-residential fieldwork for schools, colleges and universities, holiday accommodation and professional and leisure courses in natural history and arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stack Rock Fort</span> 19th century fort in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Stack Rock Fort is a fort built on a small island in the Milford Haven Waterway, Pembrokeshire, Wales. A 3-gun fort was built between 1850 and 1852, and then upgraded from 1859 to 1871 with a new building that completely encased the original gun tower. It is now a Grade II* listed building and a scheduled monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterston</span> Village in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Waterston is a village near Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the community and parish of Llanstadwell. It lies on the B4325 road linking Neyland and Milford Haven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnston railway station</span> Railway station in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Johnston (Pembs) railway station is an unstaffed railway station in the village of Johnston in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It opened in 1856 as part of the final section of the South Wales Railway main line from Haverfordwest to Neyland. It has gone by various names and is now operated by Transport for Wales Rail. Train stops are made at the station by request only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milford Haven Waterway</span> Natural harbour in south-west Wales

Milford Haven Waterway is a natural harbour in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is a ria or drowned valley which was flooded at the end of the last ice age. The Daugleddau estuary winds west to the sea. As one of the deepest natural harbours in the world, it is a busy shipping channel, trafficked by ferries from Pembroke Dock to Ireland, oil tankers and pleasure craft. Admiral Horatio Nelson, visiting the haven with the Hamiltons, described it as the next best natural harbour to Trincomalee in Ceylon and "the finest port in Christendom". Much of the coastline of the Waterway is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, listed as Milford Haven Waterway SSSI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popton Fort</span>

Popton Fort, a Grade II* Listed Building, is a Palmerston fort completed in 1864 as part of the inner line of defence of Milford Haven together with Fort Hubberstone on the opposite bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanstadwell</span> Village, parish and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Llanstadwell is a small village, parish and community in south Pembrokeshire, Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorne Island</span> Very small island in Wales

Thorne Island is a rocky islet and part of the community of Angle, Pembrokeshire, Wales, with an area of 2 acres (8,100 m2), dominated by a coastal artillery fort built to defend the Milford Haven Waterway in the mid-19th century. It has been the site of a number of shipwrecks, including one in 1894 that was carrying a cargo of Scotch whisky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hubberston</span> Village and parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Hubberston is a coastal village in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It belongs to the parish of Hubberston in the historical hundred of Roose. It is located directly to the west of the larger town of Milford Haven, and is a district of the community of Milford Haven. It is adjacent to the village of Hakin. It had a population of 2,390 inhabitants in 2001. It is mainly residential in nature.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Hook Fort</span> 19th century fort in Wales

South Hook Fort, on the northern shore of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, is a Grade II* listed building which belongs to a series of forts built as part of the inner line of defence of the Haven following the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chapel Bay Fort</span>

Chapel Bay Fort is located on the southern shore of the Milford Haven Waterway, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The fort is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from the village of Angle. One of a series of forts built as part of the inner line of defence of the Haven following the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom, it is a Grade II Listed Building. and is also known as "Chapel Bay Battery".

Scoveston is a small village near Llanstadwell and lies between Neyland and Steynton in the Welsh county of Pembrokeshire. Scoveston is a relatively new village, and the first recording of the name was in the 15th century. It is in the parish and community of Llanstadwell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East and West Blockhouses</span> Device Forts built by King Henry VIII

The East and West Blockhouses were Device Forts built by King Henry VIII in 1539 to protect the harbour of Milford Haven in Wales. The two blockhouses were positioned on either side of the Milford Haven Waterway in the villages of Angle and Dale respectively, overlooking the sea. The East Blockhouse was never completed, but the remains were reused as a defensive site in the Second World War. The West Blockhouse was described by contemporaries as forming a round tower with gunports, but it was demolished when West Blockhouse Fort was built on the same site in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Blockhouse Fort</span>

West Blockhouse Fort is a mid-19th century coastal artillery fort at West Blockhouse Point, a rocky headland near Dale, Pembrokeshire, to the west of Milford Haven in Wales.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Scoveston Fort, a grade II listed building in Llanstadwell, Pembrokeshire". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  2. ↑ "Scoveston Fort within Llanstadwell limits" (map). openstreetmap.org.
  3. 1 2 3 Phillips, Benjamin A. (2013). Pembrokeshire's Forts & Military Airfields 1535 – 2010. Logaston Press. ISBN   9781906663735.
  4. 1 2 3 Carradice, Phil (18 April 2013). "The fortifications of Milford Haven". BBC blog. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  5. ↑ Haslam, Charlotte (1990). "West Blockhouse History Album" (PDF). landmarktrust.org.uk. The Landmark Trust. p. 5. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  6. ↑ National Archives, Records of the Navy Board and the Board of Admiralty, ADM354/157
  7. 1 2 "Helping to improve local biodiversity" (PDF). South Hook LNG Seasons. No. 10. Winter 2020. p. 9. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Scoveston Fort". cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  9. 1 2 "The defensible barracks at South Hook Fort, Herbrandston". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 "Scoveston Fort". experiencepembrokeshire.com. Retrieved 26 February 2016.[ dead link ]
  11. ↑ "Fort Scoveston, Pembrokeshire". forlornbritain.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2011.[ dead link ]
  12. ↑ Wilkins, Steve; Hill, Johnathan (2021). The Pembrokeshire Murders: The dramatic true story of a 20-year hunt for a serial killer and the detectives who brought him to justice. Hachette UK. ISBN   9781841884516.
  13. ↑ "Police Investigate Doctor's Death". BBC News. 24 August 2005. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  14. ↑ Cadw. "Scoveston Fort (Grade II) (83214)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 August 2024.

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