Plymouth Blockhouse, Firestone Bay
Has been described as a Certain Artillery Fort
There are masonry ruins/remnants remains
| Name | Plymouth Blockhouse, Firestone Bay |
| Alternative Names | Winter Villa; The Artillery Tower |
| Historic Country | Devonshire |
| Modern Authority | Plymouth; City of |
| 1974 Authority | Devon |
| Civil Parish | Plymouth |
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)
Not scheduled
This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law
Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | SX463535 |
| Latitude | 50.3614692687988 |
| Longitude | -4.16120004653931 |
| Eastings | 246370 |
| Northings | 53520 |
