Steep Holm's Victorian Fortifications - see also Island 66

In the 1850s concern grew in Britain about the strength of the French Navy and it was believed that war between France and Britain might be imminent.  Henry John Temple, 3^rd Viscount Palmerston, became Prime Minister for the 2^nd time in 1859. Palmerston and his Secretary of State for War (Sidney Herbert) established a Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom in 1859 to examine the ability of Britain to defend itself against an attempted invasion by a foreign power and to advise the British Government on the remedial action required.  

The Commission reported back in 1860 and recommended the building of forts to protect naval bases and other strategic locations around the coasts of Britain and Ireland.  In the Bristol Channel Steep Holm, Flat Holm, Brean Down and Lavernock Point were to be fortified in order to protect the ports of Bristol, Cardiff and Newport.

Work began on a barracks on Steep Holm in 1866 and was completed in 1867.  The barracks were built by about 50 local men and Irish navvies under the direction of John Perry of Weston-super-Mare.  Dressed stone was transported from South Wales to build the barracks and gun emplacements.  It was winched or dragged up the cliff, along with all the other building materials needed, from a quay, which was constructed at the South Landing.  Limestone from Steep Holm itself was used for backing and infilling.

Soldiers were housed in the main barracks.  A block on the eastern side contained a kitchen, stores and latrines.  At the western end a master gunner’s quarters were constructed and some additional married quarters. Rainwater was collected from the roof and transferred into an underground reservoir behind the barracks with a capacity of 49,000 gallons.

Six gun batteries were built between 1866 and 1868 and they were armed with 10 seven ton guns in 1871.  The batteries were positioned around the island to give 360 degree coverage of the sea around the island:

•  Rudder Rock Battery at the western end of the island was named after the rock below it.
• Split Rock Battery in the south west was also named after the rock formation below it.  It is the best preserved of the six batteries.
• Summit Battery in the north west was the highest battery at 72 metres above sea level.
• Laboratory Battery in the north east was named after a nearby building, which provided a spark free environment in which gunpowder could be weighed and tested.
• Tombstone Battery in the east was so named because engineers constructing it dug up a 13^th century stone coffin lid or memorial stone associated with the ruins of the nearby Priory of St Michael.
• Garden Battery in the south east was built on what was thought to be part of the medieval priory’s garden. 

Garden, Summit, Laboratory and Split Rock were double batteries, while Rudder Rock and Tombstone were only armed with one cannon each.  All the batteries had underground ammunition stores close to them.

Two lime kilns were built to produce mortar and lime wash for the fortifications.  One was located to the north west of Garden Battery but was destroyed during the 1941 refortification of the island.  The other one at South Landing has been restored. Coal to fire them was brought from South Wales and Steep Holm’s own limestone was used.

Both Viscount Palmerston and Sidney Herbert died before work began on the fortification of Steep Holm.  By the time Steep Holm’s fortifications were completed the threat from the French had diminished. The island’s heavy guns were never fired in anger and the garrison was finally stood down in 1901.

The barracks have now been converted into a visitor centre and exhibition area.  Remains of all 6 batteries can still be seen today, although several of them were partially destroyed during the Second World War refortification of Steep Holm.  Nine of the ten heavy guns can still be seen near their original positions and most of the underground ammunition stores can be explored.

 Laboratory Battery

 Tombstone Battery

West barbette or gun enclosure at Split Rock Battery

The cannon at Rudder Rock Battery proved to be too heavy to move when the Second World War observation post was being built in 1941, so it was left in situ and the observation post was built over the top of it.  It was rediscovered in 1981 by former island warden Rodney Legg.

Displaced racer from the east barbette at Summit Battery.  The wheels of the gun carriage ran on the racer, enabling it to be moved round to face in any direction. The racer was removed from Summit Battery during the 1941 refortification of Steep Holm

This Georgian cannon was taken to Steep Holm in 1866-68 to be buried vertically in the ground, so that the mouth end could act as a pivot for the Victorian guns.  It was dug up in 1941 from Summit Battery when the island was refortified. It was left lying behind the new battery until 1986 when it was lifted into its current position outside the Barracks by a Sea King helicopter from RNAS Yeovilton.  It has found a new use as a perch for some of the Steep Holm’s many gulls. 

 Barracks

 

Restored Lime Kiln at South Landing

Further Reading:

Steep Holm at war: Rodney Legg.  Wincanton Press, 1991

The Steep Holm Guide and Trail.  Published by the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust, 2014

Steep Holm’s Pioneers: Stan and Joan Rendall. Published by the authors, 2003