Grenville Battery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grenville Battery |
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The battery was remodelled for two 12.5-inch Rifled Muzzle Loading (RML) guns in 1887
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 Grenville Battery
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| Coordinates | 50°20′21″N 4°11′45″W / 50.3393°N 4.1957°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Privately owned |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Condition | Derelict, complete |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1885-1887 |
| In use | Disused |
| Materials | Masonry Concrete |
Grenville Battery is an old coastal artillery battery. This means it was a military building with big guns, built on the coast. Its job was to protect the Royal Naval Dockyard at Devonport. A dockyard is like a big garage and parking lot for navy ships.
Contents
The Battery's Early Days
Grenville Battery was first built a long time ago, between 1760 and 1791. Back then, it was called 'Maker No 4 (North Gloucester) Redoubt'. It was part of a plan to build a long line of defenses. The battery had 15 openings for guns, called "gun embrasures." In 1815, the guns were removed, and the battery was no longer used for defense.
Upgrades and New Guns
The battery got a big upgrade between 1885 and 1887. It was renamed Grenville Battery in 1899. During this time, it was set up for two very large guns called 12.5-inch Rifled Muzzle Loading (RML) guns. These guns were put in place, but then moved to a nearby battery called Maker Battery in 1890.
The big guns were served by underground rooms called "magazines." These magazines stored the gunpowder and shells. The back of the battery had a strong wall with small holes for shooting, a small ditch, and a drawbridge. There were no sleeping areas for soldiers at the battery. However, a small kitchen was built to feed the soldiers who would work there and at Maker Battery.
Later Changes and Abandonment
In 1899, Grenville Battery was updated again with newer guns. Three 4.7-inch Quick Firing (QF) guns were installed by 1901. These guns could shoot much faster than the old ones. They stayed there until 1927 when they were taken away. The War Office, which was in charge of military buildings, stopped using the battery in 1948.
Grenville Battery Today
Today, Grenville Battery is still complete. It was given a special status in 1972, becoming a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected. For many years, the battery was covered in plants and rubbish. But in 2020, the Rame Conservation Trust, with help from Historic England, cleaned it up.
