The southern of two coastal defence platforms above Jenny's Cove, Lundy

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1016033
Date first listed:: 10-Jun-1998

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1016033
Date first listed:: 10-Jun-1998

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Devon
District:: Torridge (District Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SS 13289 45806

Reasons for Designation

Lundy is a small, steep sided island in the Bristol Channel, 16m north of Hartland Point, north Devon. Aligned north-south, it is 6km long by 1km wide and supports a predominately moorland vegetation. The 100m high cliffs and tabular form give it a striking appearance, visible in clear weather from parts of south west England and south Wales. Lundy's remoteness and (until the 19th century construction of the Beach Road) its inaccessibility, combined with a lack of shelter and cultivable soils, has meant that it has escaped more recent occupation or development. It therefore preserves a remarkable variety of archaeological sites from early prehistory (c.8000 BC) onwards, representing evidence for habitation, fortification, farming and industry. There are also archaeological remains in the waters surrounding the island - over 150 shipwrecks are already recorded. Most of the island's archaeology is well documented from detailed survey in the 1980s and 1990s.

Around Lundy's coast, and situated both in cliff top and shoreline positions, is a series of structures designed to defend the island. These varied in form and scale from the stronghold now known as Marisco Castle, to the smaller and more ephemeral gun platforms built to support musketeers. That these positions were principally for the purpose of preventing a landing is supported by their location above and around the more vulnerable bays and beaches, such as the Landing Bay and Jenny's Cove. Although the precise dating and function is unclear, it is likely that some will date to the time of the Civil War, while others may relate to coastal piracy which was prevalent in the Bristol Channel between the 15th and 18th centuries. This defensive platform at Jenny's Cove survives well and forms an important part of the system of cliff defences on the island. The platform overlooks the landing place in Jenny's Cove and the path up from it.

Details

The monument includes a revetted platform half-way up the cliff on the northern side of Jenny's Cove on Lundy's west side. It lies some 50m south west of another platform which is the subject of separate scheduling. Both appear to have been constructed as coastal defensive batteries for musketeers. Both overlook the landing beach and path up from Jenny's Cove. The platform is square and measures 6m by 6m with the the northern side built up with drystone granite walling and smaller walls on the south and west sides. The platform is built against the cliff.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 27643
Legacy System:: RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Gardner, K, The Archaeology of Lundy, (1972)

Legal

This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.