Battery Rocks facts for kids
Battery Rocks is a rocky area found just south of the harbour in Penzance, Cornwall, UK. It's a special place with a long history.
The rocks get their name from a gun battery that was built there in 1740. This was after the Penzance town council asked for protection from French ships. Today, Battery Rocks is home to the Penzance war memorial and the amazing Jubilee Pool. This pool is a restored art deco lido, which is a type of outdoor swimming pool. It's one of the best examples still around! People even swim from the rocks all year long.
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What Makes Battery Rocks Special?
Battery Rocks and the nearby beach are a big part of Penzance's history. The town's name, Pen Sans, means "Holy Headland," and this area was once the site of an old church.
People have been swimming here in winter since at least the 1880s. An old newspaper from 1881 talked about the yearly Boxing Day swim, enjoyed by those who swim all year.
Nature and Ancient History
The rocks are on the northern side of Mount's Bay. They help protect Penzance harbour from strong winds. You can find special rocks here, like Carn Olven on the east and Chimney Rocks on the west.
Thousands of years ago, the sea level was lower. If you look closely at low tide on the beaches nearby, you might see parts of a "submerged forest." These are fossilized tree trunks! Tools from the Mesolithic period (about 10,000 to 5,000 BCE) have been found here, showing people lived near this ancient forest. This submerged forest is very important for understanding Cornwall's geology.
Battery Rocks is also home to interesting wildlife. A group of rare purple sandpiper birds live here. These birds prefer rocky shores and often come from the Canadian Arctic for winter.
A Look Back in Time
In 1739, there was a worry about war with France. The people of Penzance asked the government for big guns to protect their town. They got the guns, but only if they built a battery to hold them. By November 1740, the guns were in place.
A local historian, Craig Weatherhill, believes this gun battery site is even older. He thinks it might be the same spot mentioned in a report from 1595. This report was written by a Spanish captain, Don Carlos de Amezola, whose fleet raided nearby towns.
Captain de Amezola wrote about taking an artillery piece from a fort in Penzance. Since no other gun battery site is known in Penzance from that time, it's very likely he was talking about Battery Rocks. In 1880, the guns were finally removed from the "Eastern Promenade Battery."
Swimming and Community
In 1880, the Penzance Swimming Association wanted to make the area better for swimmers. They added a concrete path and filled in some pools. The newspaper reported that "all-the-year round bathers had their accustomed dip and breakfast on the morning of Boxing Day". By 1882, one swimmer, Mr. Hodgson Pascoe, had been swimming there for forty years!
The Penzance War Memorial was put up in 1922 where the old battery used to be. Any remaining signs of the battery disappeared when the Jubilee Pool was built in 1935. During World War II, the pool area was fenced off and became an anti-aircraft battery, used by the army and the Home Guard.
In 2009, there was a plan to turn Battery Rocks into a freight yard. Many local people campaigned against it, and luckily, the plan was stopped.
Jubilee Pool: A Penzance Gem
The Jubilee Pool opened in May 1935. It was designed by Captain F Latham, the Penzance Borough Engineer. This outdoor pool has a unique triangular shape and is built right into the rocks, jutting out into the sea. It's made of painted concrete with cool Art Deco curves.
Steps lead down from the road to the pool, and there's a smaller, shallower pool for children. The pool is a special listed building because of its design and history. It was named Jubilee Pool because it opened in the year of King George V's Silver Jubilee.
By 1992, the pool needed a lot of repairs, but it reopened in 1994. In February 2014, big storms damaged the pool, and more serious problems were found. It took two years and a lot of money to fix it, but the pool finally reopened in May 2016, looking better than ever!
Images for kids
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Jubilee Pool Penzance
