Beggars Fort

Has been described as a Possible Artillery Fort, and also as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are no visible remains

NameBeggars Fort
Alternative NamesBeggers Fort
Historic CountryCornwall
Modern AuthorityCornwall
1974 AuthorityCornwall
Civil ParishAntony

Approximately SX 426567. Beggars Fort is depicted on a map of 1591 showing the landscape north of Plymouth. It is shown south of Antony House and inland of an inlet which is probably Thanckes Lake. The most likely site is probably the flat-topped hill to the west of Maryfield. (PastScape as a post-medieval fort)

Gatehouse Comments

PastScape's given map reference does not fit with this written description. The given reference is north north east of Maryfield and not 'a flat top hill west of Maryfield' (which would be about SX420557). Interpretation of such early maps is subjective but may have been even further south west than this. Presumably considered to be a fort planned or constructed in response to Spanish Armada. Shown on the plan as a roofed building surrounded by a low, square, crenellated wall. Labelled 'Beggers Fort' and shown mid way between East Antony (house and round crenellated tower) and St John (houses and a church with a square pinnacled tower). How much tactical value this fort overlooking the far upper reach of the Plymouth Sound would have been is in question and it may be this is a misinterpretation. What may be portrayed is fortified house, designed to resists quick pirate raids and, if so, then the actually location might better be found by considering the needs for a residential farm to have access to good water supply than for an artillery fort to have line of sight.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSX426567
Latitude50.3890495300293
Longitude-4.21560001373291
Eastings242600
Northings56700
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Pye, Andrew, and Woodward, Freddy, 1996, The historic defences of Plymouth p. 106

Journals

  • Sheppard, P., 1974, 'Parochial Check-Lists of Antiquities' Cornish Archaeology Hendhyscans Kernow Vol. 13 p. 63 online copy

Other