Details
SX 45 SW MAKER WITH RAME MOUNT EDGECOMBE
1551-0/6/66 Guard house, boundary wall &
attached ancillary buildings,
Maker Heights barracks
26.01.87 (Formerly Listed as: Guard house
and north east boundary wall at
Maker Barracks)
GV II*
Boundary wall, including North West caponier, building to South West corner, guard house and engine house along South East wall and former straw store, wash house, stables, gun shed and magazine along North East wall. Defensible wall with caponier and ancillary buildings. 1804-8, by the Ordnance Board, with caponier and stable of 1848, some modifications and extensions of 1848 and gun shed of 1850-60.
PERIMETER WALL is described first. Coped rubble enclosure wall extends approx 150m along North East side, returning South West at North and South ends forming perimeter of barracks, with a small CAPONIER of 1848 to the North West corner with rifle slits to each side; a length of rubble wall extending approx 30m to the South West divides off the North West corner, with stack to a sma rubble 2-window WASH HOUSE in the North East corner against the perimeter wall. A later gateway has been broken through to the centre. The return of the South West end includes hipped ENGINE HOUSE, open to the South West elevation.
The' BUILDING TO SOUTH WEST corner comprises coal yard and linen store to North West side, with 1848 extension to South East side comprising stores and barrack sergeant's quarters. Coal yard and linen store of 1804-8 to North West range, extended 1848 to South East with barrack sergeant's quarters and stores. Roughly squared rubble, partly rendered, with brick dressings., roofless.
EXTERIOR: 1 and 2 storeys; each 1-window range. The outer North East building forms the end part of the perimeter wall, and has a wide segmental-arched carriage entrance with brick dressings i11 the end, and raking sides with a alter cast-iron inserted roof. A small lean-to (linen store) at the rear. Attached to the South East side is a narrow extension of 1848, roofless at the time of survey (1997), rendered to the front and sides with coped end gables each with a doorway and single first-floor windows, and an external flight of cantilevered granite steps with iron railings up to a first-floor doorway in the side of the elevation. INTERIOR: of the outer store contains 2 vertical slate strips with markings of an unidentified character. Caponier to North West corner and wash house have been described. The NORTH EAST BOUNDAR y has other buildings attached to its South West side. Those included in the listing are described from North West to South East and comprise:
STRA W STORE: Built of stone rubble with hipped slate roof; the front elevation had wide doorway partially blocked by rubble infill with brick dressings to plank door flanked by horned 6/6-pane sashes.
OFFICER'S STABLES: sandstone rubble with stone dressings and slate, single room plan. EXTERIOR: 2 storey; 2-window range. Symmetrical front with flat arches to a doorway (inscribed 1848 date above) and blocked windows each side and to hay loft over; a small opening to the loft in the coped gable ends. INTERIOR: divided into 3 by timber stall dividers, each with an iron hay basket and trap doors above from the loft.
GUN SHED of 1850s. Coursed Plymouth limestone with brick dressings and corrugated iron rod. Ashlar piers to front, formerly open but now blocked with early C20 outer brick and with outer segmental-arched plank doors.
MAGAZINE, converted to store 1860s. roughly squared rubble with limestone dressings with brick interior lining, and a slate roof. Single-room plan. EXTERIOR: a small powder store with a cobbled apron, coped pediment gables and string, a round-arched entrance with rebate for a boarded door, and an ashlar arch, and narrow ventilation slits in the thick walls. An attached ashlar doorway with flat lintel leads to a space between the rear and the perimeter wall.
HISTORY: although magazines were usually included within barracks of this period, this is the only known example apart from the 1840s Hillsborough barracks, Sheffield.
GUARD HOUSE AND LOCK-UP TO SOUTH EAST corner of perimeter. Rubble, partly rebuilt with brick, brick ridge stack and slate hipped roof. PLAN: rectangular plan formerly with astonmade to South West front and former officers' guard room to North West; the hipped roof is also extended over matching projection to right (South West) which is probably late C19 (not shown in 1848 plan). EXTERIOR: single storey; 3-window range. Symmetrical front with recessed centre fronted by a verandah, right-hand side rebuilt in brick, each side has a segmental-arched opening, and a central timber post below the eaves to the middle, in front of a plain doorway. Sides have small upper lights to cells with small-paned windows. INTERIOR: has a guard room with a cell off with original door; wooden panelling and fireplace. HISTORY: part of a barracks for over 200 infantry to protect Maker Heights, overlooking Devonport Dockyard, built for the garrison manning the line of 1782 redoubts Nos 1-4 (SAM). This is the most complete and unaltered small garrison barracks from this significant period, and includes many of its ancillary buildings within a defensible site.
(Transactions of Devon Association for Advancement of Science: Breihan J: Barracks in Devon during the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Wars: 1990-; Exeter Archaeology Report: Pye A: Maker Barracks: 1994-).
Listing NGR: SX4352851370
