Post by Dave on May 19, 2019 14:57:53 GMT
Daymark & Brownstone Battery 9th May 2019
I was unsure where to go this morning and even when I put the keys into the ignition on my car at 8am, I still had not made my mind up. But I had to drive somewhere and headed towards Brixham and then finally made my mind up to go to Higher Brownstone.
For anyone who do not know this location you head for the National Trust property Coleton Fishacre and just before the entrance turn right and soon you come to a car park owned by the National Trust. It’s an honesty car park with a box to put your £2 in to park there.
Right next to this box is a gate that takes you down a path that firstly will take to the Daymark and then on to Brownstone Battery. If you walk further on you can do a complete circular walk that will take you back to the car park, if you do you will be treated to some wonderful views of the mouth of the River Dart.
I did that very walk nine years ago with my late wife Carol who was not feeling to well that day, but was determined to go out and make the best of what was a very pleasant day weather wise. The story of that walk can be found here
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/48/higher-brownstone-froward-point
This was the first time I had been here since that walk and after putting my £2 in the honesty box I headed for the Daymark with both my DLSR camera and my drone. The Daymark is 80 foot/24m high and was built in 1864 by the Dartmouth Harbour Commissioners as a guide to mariners to the position of the harbour entrance.
Being early there was no one around and I often enjoy being somewhere on my own which is why I often set of early in the mornings when I can get out when I am not working.I took all the shots I wanted at the Daymark and continued my walk to the Brownstone Battery.
The complex at Brownstone Battery was built in 1942 as a defence against German naval attack. The site was equipped with two six-inch guns taken from a First World War battleship. Each gun had a range of over 14 miles, and operated in tandem with a powerful searchlight situated close to the high water mark below. During the War, the Battery was manned by up to 300 soldiers, and the cliffs all around were strung with barbed wire.
All the buildings are still standing but you are unable to access any of them, but you can pop into the National Coastwatch look out room and have a chat with the people in there. Today there were two very friendly men in there and they will always be happy to provide you with any information you might want about what goes on in there. More about the Coastwatch Lookout here
www.nci-frowardpoint.org.uk/
Ponies can now be found in and around the Brownstone Battery which was an added bonus today’s walk. I should point out the walk from the car park to the Daymark is relatively flat, but its much steeper down to the Brownstone Battery, so the walk back from there to the car park can be a bit leggy.
If I have had more time I would have done the whole circular walk but was pleased to have done what I did and am just so thankful there are so many wonderful locations all on our doorsteps.
