ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT
HMS GANGES SHOTLEY
An Assessment of the Archaeological Potential of the former HMS Ganges Royal Naval Training Establishment Shotley, Suffolk
Shotley Fort of 1862 (from Kent, P. 1988)
A.M. Breen & M. Sommers
Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Field Projects Team PJ Thompson MSc CEng FICE County Director of Environment and Transport St Edmund House, County Hall, Ipswich. IP4 1LZ.
SCCAS Report No. 2002/6 An Assessment of the Archaeological Potential of the former HMS Ganges Royal Naval Training Establishment Shotley, Suffolk
CONTENTS
1. Summary 2. Introduction 3. Methodology 4.Results 4.1 Sites and Monuments Record, Listed Buildings and SAMs 4.2 Aerial Photographs 4.3 Documentary Search by A.M. Breen 4.4 Site Visit 5. Conclusions 6. Recommendations
Figures Figure 1: Site Location Plan Figure 2: SMR Locations Figure 3: A Prospect of the Old Towne of Harwich (c.1714) Figure 4: Deed Plan 1901 (part) Figure 5: Ordnance Survey - 1903 Figure 6: Ordnance Survey - 1926 Figure 7: Details Noted During Site Visit - 30/01/2002
Appendix: SMR and Listed Building Print-Outs
Contributors M. Sommers, Field Team, Archaeological Service, SCC A.M. Breen, Freelance Documentary Historian 1. Summary
An assessment of the archaeological potential of the former HMS Ganges site on the Shotley peninsula was undertaken by the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Field Projects Team for Haylink Ltd. during January 2002.
Two protected structures standing within the proposed development site were identified, namely a Martello tower and the ceremonial mast, which are listed as structures of special architectural and historic interest. The Martello tower, L, and another, M, just outside the boundary of the proposed development site, are also included on the Schedule of Ancient Monuments.
There are no areas that obviously contain archaeology or structures but an area worthy of further study is the site of Shotley Fort, built in 1862, and the site of a gun emplacement built in 1891. Both of these are situated on the eastern side of the grounds and incorporate subterranean magazines. An area south of tower L would also be worthy of study as it is the site of a battery associated with the tower. Nothing of this battery could be positively identified during a site visit but an entrance to a subterranean area was noted that may be part of the battery's magazine. None of the other existing structures within HMS Ganges are considered to be worthy of preservation although it may be wise to photographically record all structures that are to be demolished for purposes of local history study.
Consultation of the County Sites and Monuments Record did not reveal any known sites within HMS Ganges (other than the tower), but this is likely to be due to a lack of opportunity for investigation due to the military status of the site. Sites recorded in the locality indicate occupation on the Shotley peninsula from at least the Bronze Age with evidence of Bronze Age, Late Saxon, medieval and post-medieval activity. A large proportion of the HMS Ganges site is formed from open spaces such as sports and parade grounds and these areas could potentially yield buried archaeological deposits. To test for such deposits evaluation by trial trenching would be required. Other areas of the HMS Ganges site, particularly the slopes down to the Rivers Orwell and Stour, appear to have been subjected to landscaping and consequently archaeological deposits in these areas could be severely damaged or destroyed.
Consequently, Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Field Projects Team recommend a full survey of the remains of the Victorian defences and the Martello tower L battery with reference to experts in the military technology, and trial trenching of all available open areas, other than those proven to have been previously landscaped, to assess buried archaeological deposits (see section 6).
2. Introduction
The Former HMS Ganges Naval Training Establishment was transferred to a shore base at Shotley early in the 20th century where it operated for just over 70 years on that site before its closure in 1976. Following closure the site was used as the 'Eurosports' centre and then later for police training. The site has recently been purchased by Haylink Limited. In 1997 the previous owners, Potten, obtained outline
1 planning permission to develop part of the site as a retirement community involving the construction of 404 retirement homes and associated facilities.
The HMS Ganges site is situated on the southeast tip of the Shotley peninsula in Suffolk at the point where the two rivers, Orwell and Stour, meet and form the Harwich haven, the most important harbour on this part of the east coast (see figure 1). Topographically the majority of the site occupies a level plateau but this slopes down steeply to the river edges to the south and east The National Grid Reference for the approximate centre of the site is TM 2490 3391. Haylink Limited has acquired the whole of the former HMS Ganges site including the former police training buildings. However , there is a strip along the eastern side of the site which is owned by Shotley Point marina Ltd. The total area of the proposed development site is c.25.26ha.
In order to establish the likelihood and the nature of any significant remains that may be present on the site, the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Field Projects Team were commissioned by Galliard Homes (agents for Haylink Limited) to undertake an assessment of the current archaeological status of the site through documentary research.
3. Methodology
In order to assess the archaeological status of the HMS Ganges site the following steps were taken.
1. A professional historian (Mr A. Breen) specialising in documentary research was engaged to examine and assess all readily available cartographic and documentary sources held in the local county record office. The purpose of this was to assess the potential for evidence of archaeological sites within the proposed development area, and to record any previous land-uses. The result of his research is presented as section 4.3 of this report.
2. A visit was made by Mr Breen to the Public Record Office in Kew as it was considered that much of the documentary evidence related to the military phase of the site would be held there.
3. The County Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) was consulted for known sites on or in the vicinity of the HMS Ganges site. An area of c.4 square kilometres on the southeastern tip of the Shotley Peninsula was investigated in order to identify particular areas and zones of historic activity and gain an insight into general trends on the peninsula.
4. All available aerial photographs featuring the HMS Ganges site, held by the Suffolk County Council's Environment and Transport department, and in the in the County Sites and Monuments Record, were examined.
5. The Department of Environment's Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, copies of which are held within the Suffolk
2 County Council, was consulted. The list of Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAM) was also consulted.
6. The HMS Ganges site was visited by the author of this report, accompanied by Mr Breen, the historian, to carry out a visual inspection of the area for possible earthworks or structural remains that may be of archaeological interest and to assess the areas that may potentially contain buried archaeology.
7. A brief search of the Internet, and printed material, for articles relating to the history of the HMS Ganges site was undertaken.
8. It was hoped to find and contact individuals, societies and groups that have an interest and/or information regarding the HMS Ganges site but this was found not to be possible in the available time frame. However, such research has been undertaken as part of the historic buildings assessment, also commissioned by Haylink Ltd.
4. Results
4.1 Sites and Monuments Record, Listed Structures and SAMs There are only two entries in the County Sites and Monuments Record for sites within the HMS Ganges complex and these are the two Martello towers, L and M, of which only L is within the area of proposed development. They are recorded as SLY032 (tower L) and SLY033 (tower M). Both towers are also entered on the Schedule of Ancient Monuments under the references Suffolk 202 (L) and Suffolk 203 (M). For tower L the Scheduled area also includes the filled in moat and its outer retaining wall. It is likely that the setting of the monument (i.e. the immediate surrounding area) would also be subjected to some building restriction.
There are six entries in the SMR for sites in the vicinity of HMS Ganges. These are listed below (see figure 2 for their location and the Appendix for the full SMR print- outs).
SLY001 A Bronze Age socketed spearhead, an individual findspot.
SLY003 Neck of a 13th century medieval jar, an individual findspot.
SLY010 A collection of pottery sherds recovered from the foreshore. Includes Late Saxon Thetford Ware and 13th to 17th century material.
SLY045 A cropmark of an undated irregular enclosure. Within SLY059.
SLY051 A cropmark of an undated ring ditch, presumed to be the site of burial mound of probable Bronze Age date.
SLY059 Cropmarks indicating an area of undated field boundaries.
The Martello tower on the site is also recorded on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest under the reference 6/55. Only one other structure is included in the list and that is the ceremonial mast, reference 6/54 (see section 4.3 below for details)
3 4.2 Aerial Photographs Four aerial photographs of the HMS Ganges area held within the Suffolk County Council were studied as part of this assessment. Each photograph is a vertical shot at a scale of c.1:10000 and cover a period from 1971 to 1996. The entire HMS Ganges site is visible but no significant archaeological deposits or remains, other than previously mapped standing structures, are apparent.
The photographs used were: No.71641788 taken on the 10th May 1971; No. 1386008 taken on the 30th April 1986; No. 2374 taken on the 28th October 1995; and No.2372 taken on the 30th may 1996.
4.3 Documentary Search by A.M. Breen
4.3.1 Introduction The research for this report was carried out at the Suffolk Record Offices in Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds with further research at the Public Record Office (PRO) at Kew. The intention has been to use those repositories that offer the maximum amount of information that can be used for the archaeological appraisal of this site. There is additional information available from archival and printed sources held at other repositories but these have not been examined. This section is not exhaustive and there is potential for further research.
The earliest archival sources covered date from the late seventeenth century and the commentary is confined to this historical period only. For the purposes of the report the period has been divided into three stages. These are:
1. The documentary evidence for the earliest period has been drawn from Hervey Papers held at Bury St Edmunds. The Hervey family (Marquess of Bristol) were the lords of the manor of Overhall and Netherhall in Shotley and the landowners of this site.
2. The second period covers the nineteen-century with particular attention to the Martello towers commissioned and armed by 1811, and to the Shotley Point defences built after 1862. There was another possibly earlier fortification at Shotley Point, just outside the area of this site, which may pre date the Napoleonic Wars 1803 - 1815.
3. The period from 1900 onwards which includes the establishment of the Royal Naval Hospital in 1900 and removal of HMS Ganges to an in shore based establishment in 1905 together with some comments on the site after the closure of Ganges in 1976.
4.3.2 The Hervey Papers
The main residence of the Marquess of Bristol was at Ickworth in West Suffolk, however the Hervey family had acquired lands in East Suffolk through the marriage of Elizabeth Felton to the first Earl of Bristol in the early eighteenth century, which included the manors of Netherhall and Overhall in Shotley. The surviving records
4 held at Bury St Edmunds are very sparse which is possible due to a dispute between the Marquess of Bristol and the War Office in 1887 over the rights to the foreshore. In a brief account of the case given by F.S.A. Hervey in his book "Shotley Parish Records" (1912), it is clear that the family's lawyers had carried out an extensive search of the family's legal papers in order to prepare evidence for the court. The book refers to the sale of land to the Board of Ordnance in 1809 and the later sale in 1862, but both sets of deeds are no longer amongst the Hervey Papers. There is a lease of the farmland to Mr Spurling dated 1867, but this does not include any plan or list of field names.
The manorial records are equally sparse and consist of a series of rentals of lands of the manor. These rentals dating from 1647 to 1729 seem to relate to comparatively small areas of land and no acreage is given. Some of the land is in the neighbouring parish of Erwarton. There are no plans, maps or surveys of the estate. Hervey was able to use some of the records in his book, but the details offer only a succession of owners of the neighbouring farms.
It is possible that most of the lands of this manor had been leased out by the eighteenth century and by the nineteenth the bulk of the property was consolidated into the large farm of 735 acres occupied by the Spurling family from 1823.
It is still possible to gain an impression of the landscape from a print showing "A Prospect of the Towne & Harbour of Harwich" by J. Kip published c. 1714 which appears in books by Major Leslie and Frank Hussey (see figure 3). The position of Shotley Gate and the church are marked. Shotley Point appears to be a series of fields, some of which appear to match the details given on the tithe map. There appears to be no large-scale buildings on the promontory and the position of the old fort shown on the 1867 plans is not marked (see below). Leslie also includes in his work the 1588 map of the Suffolk coast, mainly to show the early fortification at Landguard Point (Leslie, 1898). On this map there is a beacon marked at Shotley, this may be on the later site of Ganges or at the church.
In Medieval times the main Orwell and Stour estuaries were used as an assembly point and safe anchorage for the fleet. Hervey in his work offers details of a royal visit in 1340, when the monarch Edward III stayed at Shotley on his return from France. He had arrived from Harwich and probably landed at Shotley Gate, some his retinue may have found a temporary campsite within the area of HMS Ganges.
4.3.3 The Nineteenth Century
Within the area of the HMS Ganges site there a number of structures built as part of the coastal defences for the Stour and Orwell estuaries. These complimented the defences at Harwich (Beacon Hill battery) and at Landguard Fort in Felixstowe. The fortifications consisted of the two Martello towers "L" and "M", their batteries and associated structures, an open battery constructed in 1861 and a large fortification built after 1862. The history of these sites is partly described in Peter Kent's "Fortifications of East Anglia" (1988) and further plans and details have been drawn from records held at the PRO. In Hervey's brief account of the dispute in 1887 between the Marquess of Bristol and the War Office over the foreshore some
5 information relating to the site is included. Unfortunately there are relatively few documents in the Hervey Papers themselves that are relevant to the history of this site and Hervey's book is an important source for some key dates.
Relatively few records are indexed in the PRO's catalogue under Shotley or Ganges. Some additional items have been traced through searching the published guide to War Office records for material relating to the defence of the East Coast, however not all items listed under this heading relate to static defences. It is certain that there are additional sources which have yet to be researched.
The two Martello towers within the HMS Ganges site formed a key part of the coastal defences during the napoleonic period (although only tower L is within the proposed development site). Their construction was originally proposed by Captain William Ford in 1803 and the design was based on a tower at Mortella Point, Corsica, that had withstood a heavy bombardment by the British Navy in 1794. The plans were approved in 1804 and work began on constructing the first of 73 towers along the south coast. The east coast defences were begun in 1808 and an additional 29 towers built. These east coast towers were given letters starting with A at Brightingsea in Essex and culminating with CC at Aldeburgh. The design differs from those along the south coast, with the east coast towers being slightly larger. Both the towers at Shotley would also have had attendant batteries. Only 17 of the original 29 towers still remain. The towers at Shotley are now listed buildings and Scheduled Ancient Monuments, but their attendant batteries were considered "not worth scheduling" at the time. Tower L originally had a moat and although this is now filled in it is included as part of the Scheduled monument.
According to Hervey (1912), the then Marquess of Bristol sold the land for these towers to the Board of Ordnance in November 1809 and boundary stones were placed along the foreshore to mark out the property boundary. The towers were built by local contractors, possibly using bricks and cement produced in Shotley, and were completed and fully armed by 1811.
Following the Napoleonic wars the towers were not immediately decommissioned or handed over to the coast guard. WO 44/53 is a file of documents in the PRO relating to the Martello towers and dated 1818 and it includes a full list of all the towers along the south and east coasts. In the returns of 1816, the towers were still armed with one long and two short 24 pounders mounted on traversing platforms, together with a battery mounting a further three 24 pounders. The returns also give a full list of the stores within both buildings. Proposals to brick up these towers were rejected at that time though there were already problems with dry rot within the buildings. By 1818, the manning of tower M had been handed over to a military pensioner but tower L retained its gunners.
The towers and surrounding land was still owned by the Board of Ordnance on the tithe map of Shotley dated 1839 (ref. P461/216) although the towers are not drawn to scale on the map. The land listed in the apportionment (ref. FDA 216/1A/1a) as:
6 Tower L 388 Tower Field Pasture 12 acres and 8 perches
Tower M 369 Tower Meadow Pasture 6 acres 1 rood and 30 perches 385 Drift 1 rood and 3 perches
There are wells outside both towers and as they were originally designed to collect rainwater from the roofs of the buildings these wells may suggest earlier buildings on or near the site of the towers. There is a cutting to the east of tower L close to the site of the later Hospital. The origin of this feature is unclear, but it might be a point of access to the area reclaimed by Spurling in 1843, or the entrance to an old quarry which is shown on the plan.
All the surrounding land was owned by the Marquess of Bristol and occupied by Benjamin King and his son in law John Spurling. According to Hervey, they had acquired the farm consisting of over 735 acres in 1823. The line of the sea wall shown on the tithe map is different to that shown on the later Ordnance Survey maps. The reason for this, as explained by Hervey (1912), is that Spurling built an additional sea wall in order to reclaim additional land in 1843. The reclaimed land was field 369 and part of 370 shown the Ordnance Survey maps. This land was later purchased by the War Office, the successor body to the Board of Ordnance, in 1862.
In 1862 the defence of this area again received serious consideration, a period when there was again a fear of conflict with France. Proposals were made for the construction of an elaborate fort at Shotley, but rejected on the grounds of expense. Instead a simpler structure was built and both the Martello towers rearmed. There is an extremely detailed set of seven plans showing all the War Office property along the East Coast held at the PRO (ref. WORK 43/438) and dated 1867. These include both the towers and the fortifications. The general plan (a copy of which is held on file) shows the relationship of each of the structures to one another. It also includes some additional details that should be noted. At the end of Shotley Point and outside the area of this site, an old battery position shown. This was not a parcel of the Ordnance Department's lands as shown on the Tithe map of 1839 and it may predate the Napoleonic period. There is no mention of this fort in Hervey's book, though it adjoins the sea wall which was then owned by the Marquess of Bristol. There are even more detailed plans of the fort in WO 78/2776. These plans were produced in 1863 and offer further detailed sections of the buildings (a copy of the fort plan is held on file).
WO 33/25 is a series of confidential reports on various subjects bound into a single volume which includes a report to the "Committee on Coast Defences" dated 1870 and published in 1873. The report contains a full description of the Shotley defences at that time, a transcription follows below:
Shotley Gate Battery 151 An open earthen battery armed with three 68-pounders, on the right of the Shotley position, about 50 feet above high-water mark, and within 150 yards of Tower L. It fires directly on the ordinary anchorage, and was constructed in 1861 for 900l.
Shotley Point Battery 152 A defensive earthen battery, armed with fourteen 7 inch M. L, guns - 11 on A racers, 3 on C racers. The parapets are 24 feet thick, and the guns, alternately 40 feet and 64 feet apart. The
7 magazine is for 400 cases, and the attached shell room would hold 200 more. There are besides six expense magazines in traverses and four small shell recesses. The enceinte in front consists of a semi-detached escarp wall 18 feet high, with unrevetted counterscarp; and at the gorge a wall of the same height, intended to form part of a barrack, of which only a few rooms have been built. The flank and gorge walls are exposed, and the work is seen into from the adjoining towers. In front of the salient the ground slopes so rapidly that the glacis is made narrow, and terminates in an abrupt slope under the fire of the towers. The work was built in 1863 for 10,541l.
153 Tower L is on the west side of Shotley promontory, between the two batteries already described. It has a ditch and was asphalted and re-armed with one 68-pounder and two 8-inch guns in 1861. It has a good command over the approach to Shotley on the landside, looks into the 14-gun battery, flanks the dead ground on its southwest face, and commands the principal anchorage.
Tower M is on the east side of the Shotley promontory. It resembles L in armament, but has no ditch. It is in other respects similarly situated but commands the Orwell instead of the Stour.
Other structures outside the site are then described before certain recommendations were made "for the defence of Harwich".
"We are of the opinion that the works on Shotley promontory form the key of the harbour. As long as this position is held it will be practically impossible for an enemy to make any use of the port, and we would therefore recommend that the 14-gun battery should be improved, so as to render it capable of sustaining an attack of at least a week's duration, and that a few heavy guns be mounted in it, and medium guns on the two towers and battery near it. A small jetty will be needed at Shotley Gate, and further belt of ground should be acquired to prevent buildings springing up close to the works".
This led to the re-arming of the fort with 7-inch RMLs as shown on the plans produced in that year (ref. WO 78/4174, part of which is held on file). By 1880 the Martello towers were considered to be obsolete and the guns were removed from them. The War Office still considered that Shotley had an important role to play in the defence of the estuary and in 1891 plans were prepared to replace the 7-inch RMLs with four 10-inch RMLs. A plan of the new gun positions from WO 78/4051 is held on file. Two of the new gun positions were built and Peter Kent includes a photograph of one of the emplacements in his book. The photograph matches the details shown on the plan.
The fort was dismantled after 1900 to make way for HMS Ganges. There is some evidence from the reports in the County SMR records that parts of the structure and its earthwork are still intact.
In 1901, there were a series of exchanges of small pieces of land between the estate of the Marquess of Bristol and the War Office all the area effected by these exchanges are outside the area of HMS Ganges. The estate also granted a right of easement to the War Office for a drainage ditch. The deed contains a plan of the southern corner of the base next to Shotley Gate, (ref. HA507/3/776 - see figure 4). This plan shows the dismantled tower battery with its magazine, the positions of two dry wells, the sea wall constructed in 1843, and the location of some of the boundary stones erected in 1809.
8 4.3.4 HMS Ganges 1899 - 1976
HMS Ganges was launched in 1821 and "became a training ship for boys in 1866. The ship was moored in Falmouth Bay until 1899 when it was moved to the Essex coast off Shotley, near Harwich, where it remained until 1906. From 1905 the training establishment was based on shore at Shotley where it remained" (National Maritime Museum). Before the creation of the shore establishment a Royal Naval Hospital had been built at Shotley in 1900. The site of the hospital is shown on the 1903, 1:2500 Ordnance Survey Map, sheet number LXXXIX.7 (figure 5). Details of the site consisting of seven sheets of large scale plans and sections are held at the PRO, (ref. WORK 41/185 - 191). The general site plan (ref. WORK 41/185) and "Plans and Sections of Ground work and foundations to General Block, General Staff, Surgeons and Kitchen Blocks" (ref. WORK 41/186) On the general plan the site is shown in relation to the Martello tower "L". The scale of the plan is 30 feet to 1 inch (1:360). The Groundwork plan, completed on a larger scale of 8 feet to 1 inch (1:96), shows that there was a certain amount of levelling of the site to accommodate the buildings. These structures have since been demolished but they do represent the earliest phase of the development of the shore establishment.
Before HMS Ganges could be constructed it was necessary to partly demolish and level the site of the Victorian fortifications described below. There were probably additional ground works to level the site of HMS Ganges, but no detailed plans for this phase of building have been found during this research. The site is described in "Kelly's Directory of Suffolk" published in 1912 as:
"Royal Naval Training Establishment HM Ship Ganges opened in 1905 is for 1,400 boys and 400 Officers and men. The buildings comprise of 35 dormitories, 12 classrooms, recreation and lecture rooms, gymnasium (120 by 60 feet) and laundry and attached is a hospital erected in 1900 and containing 90 beds with quarters for surgeon and staff".
There are a series of photographs of the buildings and various activities on the establishment held at Ipswich. These were produced by Smiths and Suitall, an Ipswich based company which operated from 1893 to 1972. The company produced and retailed postcards and photo cards of Ipswich and the surrounding area but the originals are kept in a series of dated volumes. The photographs of HMS Ganges were produced between 1907 and 1910 (ref. HC 453/5/4) and each image is individually numbered. These represent the most comprehensive series of photographs of the site at this period. The details of the buildings suggest that they were built to a common standard and it is probable that there are parallel examples of this type of construction to be found at other sites. There is a further photograph showing the main entrance and numbered 607 in an earlier volume (ref. HC 453/5/3).
The main assembly point was the quarterdeck situated in front of the mast. The mast is the only structure from HMS Ganges that is currently listed as of historic and architectural merit. The 143 foot mast consists "the foremast of HMS Cordelia, a corvette paid off in 1900, and partly of the top mast of the sailing battleship Agincourt, built in Portsmouth Dockyard in 1892"1. Parts of the structure were renewed in 1955 and 1961.
1 The date for Agincourt's construction is given as 1892 in the listing but this may be an error as it is unlikely that a sailing battleship would be built at that time. An Agincourt was built in 1862, which later served as a depot ship at Shotley, it would seem more likely that this ship is the donor of sections of the mast (pers. com. M. Sommers).
9 The photographs combined with the description of Ganges from "Kelly's Directory" can be matched to the details of the site shown on the 1926, 1:2500 Ordnance Survey Map, sheet number LXXXIX.7 (figure 6). This map shows the positions of both Martello towers. There are further details available for three named features to the east of the site; the church, swimming baths, and sports ground and these are worth further consideration (although they are outside the proposed development area).
The church was built for the use of the staff at Ganges and is not the parish church of Shotley. Later additional chapels were added for other denominations and these are shown on later Ordnance Survey maps. Amongst the Admiralty papers at the PRO, there is a file for "Furnishing chapel as memorial to men trained in HMS Ganges; purchase of requirements from "ship" funds from Maple and Co Ltd approved" (ref. ADM 1/15732). The file was not examined during this research but the building if still in situ may still contain such memorials. There is a file of correspondence relating to war graves at Shotley (ref. CM 4/30) and another file in the parish collection held at Ipswich (ref. FB 198/C5/1) offers further details. The site of these graves is within the parish churchyard and it's extension. These are from both World Wars. There are 194 graves and 251 bodies together with 100 naval graves in the churchyard. Within the new cemetery for the Second World War, there are 84 war graves and 104 bodies with 3 naval graves, giving a total of 381 graves and 458 bodies. It is highly unlikely that there are any burials within the Ganges site.
The swimming baths shown on the 1926 map were replaced in 1935 with a new building. The plans for this structure are held at the PRO (ref. WORK 41/192) but these have not been examined for this report.
The eastern sports ground was removed in 1987 to make way for the marina development. In the Suffolk Photographic collection held at Ipswich, there is a photograph (ref. SPS Shotley no. 19118) dated 1925 showing a sports event held on this field. The photographer has included part of Martello tower "M" in the background of the picture, distinctive because of the large water tower on top of the building. Other earlier documentary sources suggest that the tower was still suitable as a gun position in the late nineteenth century and that the water tower was probably built for the needs of the base.
In around 1961, HRH duke of Edinburgh visited Ganges. There are several photographs of this event in the Suffolk Photographic collection and a number of these offer details of the buildings (ref. SPS Shotley).
Most of the Admiralty records held at the PRO relate to specific incidents or operational matters at Ganges such as restrictions on caning or the organisation of meals or the accommodation of sick boys. There are files relating to a galley fire in November 1971 (ref. ADM 289/144) and to the failure of the cast iron water mains in 1948 (ref. ADM 249/812) but these have not been examined for this report.
Following the closure of the base, the contents of the museum and other artefacts were moved to the National Maritime Museum, other equipment was disposed of or removed at that time. The site was used as a Eurosports centre and later as police training establishment. Since the departure of the police the buildings have been
10 closed, many of the naval base buildings have been demolished, and this part of the site cleared.
4.3.5 Further Research
There is very limited potential for further research into the medieval period beyond a careful reading of Hervey's work. The references quoted here have been obtained from the indexes. There should be further details of the court case between the Marquess of Bristol and the War Office among the papers at the PRO, though these may not be indexed under Shotley. These papers may well contain further details of the manor.
There is an eighteenth century map of part of Shotley held at the British Library which has not been examined for this report. This may be the same as another eighteenth century map mentioned by Hervey. The National Maritime Museum holds records relating to the ship HMS Ganges and the records consist of lieutenant's logbooks only although the museum collections may include items of interest relating to the site. The National Army Museum holds a large collection of nineteenth and early twentieth century photographs which may include material relating to Shotley. Their library has a large number of books relating to coastal defences.
4.3.6 Conclusion
From the information offered here, the main areas of interest are in and around the two Martello towers, including the positions of the wells marked on the detailed nineteenth century plans, together with the position of the nineteenth century fortifications, particularly the 1862 fort and the 1891 gun emplacements. There is a renewed interest in modern defence systems and this site should be considered as part of the defences at Harwich and at Landguard Fort.
Only part of the detailed plans held at the Public Record Office have been copied and it may be necessary to re-examined these documents in advance of any further works.
4.3.7 Documentary References
Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich
Maps 1:2500 Ordnance Survey Map sheet number LXXXIX.7 published 1926 1:2500 Ordnance Survey Map sheet number LXXXIX.7 published 1903
Photographs HC 453/5/3 Smith Suitall Collection Photograph Album 1906 - 1907 HC 453/5/4 Smith Suitall Collection Photograph Album 1907 - 1910 K489 Postcards printed by Smith Suitall from Albums (see index) SPS Shotley 1 - 1660, 1661 - Photographs of visit by HRH duke of Edinburgh 1961
Parish Collection FB 198/C5/1 Papers re. proposed extension of Churchyard and War Graves 1940 - 1950
11
Suffolk Record Office Bury St Edmunds
Hervey Papers HA 507/1/44 Rentals Manor of Overhall and Netherhall Shotley 1647 - 1729 HA 507/1/46 Rentals Manor of Overhall and Netherhall Shotley 1700 - 1727 HA 507/2/499 Exchange of Lands Marchioness of Bristol and Admiralty 1910 HA 507/3/580a Lease Bristol to Mr Spurling of 700 cares in Shotley 1867 HA 507/4/13 Settlement of the estates of Sir Thomas Felton of Playford 1721 -1722
Public Record Office, Kew
Department of Environment CM 4/30 War Graves Shotley 1917 - 1969
War Office WO 33/25 Confidential Report: Committee on Coast Defences 1870 pub. 1873 WO 44/53 Martello Towers 1816 -1818 WO 78/2776 Plans of Shotley Fort 1866 WO 78/4174 Plans of Shotley Fort 1883 WO 78/4051 Proposed Revision for Shotley Point Battery 1893
Ministry of Works WORK 41/85 & 86 Plans of Royal Naval Hospital, Shotley 1900 WORK 43/438 22 - 28 Shotley Point Plans 1867
Bibliography
Anonymous (1931) An Alphabetical Guide to certain War Office and other Military Records, HMSO
Hervey, F.S.A., (1912) Shotley Parish Records, Bury St Edmunds
Hussey, F., (1983) Suffolk Invasion, Lavenham
Kelly's Directory of Suffolk 1912
Kent, P., (1980) Fortifications of East Anglia, Lavenham
Leslie, Maj. J.H., (1898) The History of Landguard Fort in Suffolk, London
4.4 Site Visit
The HMS Ganges site was visited by M. Sommers and A. Breen on the 30th January 2002. During the visit the entire site was walked in order to carry out a visual inspection of the area for possible earthworks or structural remains of archaeological interest (see figure 7 for the locations of details noted).
A large proportion of the former naval training establishment buildings have been cleared, including all the original structures. The Martello tower and its associated moat/ditch were seen. The moat is backfilled to the level of the surrounding ground and covers the outer retaining wall. The tower appears exceptionally short due to the fact that a large proportion of it is now buried. A small derelict outhouse or shed type
12 structure has been built over the backfilled ditch. From a short distance away to the north the tower can be seen to be standing on a slight rise which is presumably the remains of a glacis (an earth slope, part of the tower's defence). The tower is recorded as having an associated battery to the south (the site of which can be seen in figure 4). The area in question is uneven but no above ground remains could be positively identified at the time of the visit although the area was fairly well overgrown. Nearby an arched entrance to a subterranean area could be seen but it was not possible to approach to view the interior due dense undergrowth in the area. It seems likely that this may be part of a magazine associated with the tower's battery.
To the southeast of the Martello tower L was the area of the former hospital built in the early 20th century. It can be seen that some significant landscaping was undertaken for the construction of the hospital. It is presumed that the hillside has been cut into and material deposited down slope in order to create terraces.
North of the hospital site was an area formerly occupied by a large complex of barracks. None of these are extant but the concrete pad bases for some of the structures are visible. This area slopes down gently from the west to east and it is presumed that this area has also been landscaped, but possibly not to the same extent as the hospital site.
This area of barracks has partially encroached onto an area to the north that was formerly occupied by Shotley Fort of 1862 (see section 4.3 above). From the aerial photographs it would appear that a large proportion of this fort survived until at least 1986 although much has since been levelled. During the site visit it was noted that the northeast corner of the fort with at least two of the former gun positions has survived. In what was formerly the southeast portion of the fort's main battery a later gun emplacement of 1891 and its associated subterranean magazines are present. Between this emplacement and the surviving portion of the 1862 fort is a large earth mound which appears to be covering the former 1862 magazine which it would seem has been re-used as extra storage for the later emplacement. Along the former front line of the fort a narrow low area with brick revetting is present. This seems to be coincidental with the outer ramparts of the fort and is likely to be associated with the forts defensive ditch. There is also a likelihood that more of this fort survives along its northern boundary and that buried remains of the western boundary may also survive. The southern boundary has probably been entirely destroyed by later construction work.
During the site visit an opportunity was taken to note areas of potential buried archaeology. As previously mentioned, much of the southern and eastern slopes, which includes the site of the 1862 fort, have probably been subjected to a high degree of landscaping that would have severely damaged if not destroyed any buried archaeological remains that may have been present. The remainder of the site has the potential to yield buried archaeological deposits, particularly in the large open sports field area and the parade ground. Assuming the standing structures have only strip foundations and no basements there is a chance that buried archaeological deposits could also survive under the floors.
13 5. Conclusions
Very little, if any, of the former HMS Ganges naval training establishment structures, other than the ceremonial mast, are of any archaeological or historical significance. However, there are some features on-site that predate the training establishment that are worthy of further note. Obviously the Martello tower L is of historic significance and this has been recognised by the fact that it has been added to the Schedule of Ancient Monuments. The area of its former battery, particularly the possible subterranean magazine, is worthy of further investigation as few of these batteries were initially built and the author does not know of any surviving examples.
The remains of the 1862 Shotley Fort appear to have been overlooked in the past as it has not been listed, scheduled or added to the County SMR (this last point will soon be rectified). Undoubtedly it is of some significance particularly in today's climate of ever increasing interest in the defence of Britain's shores and is well worthy of further investigation and recording and may well be worth preserving in situ. The same goes for the 1891 gun emplacement and associated magazines.
No archaeological remains earlier than the Martello towers have been identified within the HMS Ganges site. There is little SMR data for sites within HMS Ganges but this is likely to be due to the site being a military area closed to the general public which has led to a lack of investigation and reporting.
Finds in the vicinity of the HMS Ganges, as recorded on the SMR, indicate probable occupation of the Shotley peninsula during the Bronze Age period with the socketed spearhead (SLY001) and the ring ditch (SLY051), which is likely to be Bronze Age in date. The enclosure (SLY045) and the field boundaries (SLY059) are also possibly of Bronze Age date.
Possible medieval occupation is indicated by the presence of the jar neck (SLY003) whilst SLY010 appears to cover all periods from Late Saxon through to the 17th century.
Occupying, as it does, a strategically important location overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Stour and Orwell at Harwich haven it is quite likely that the site contains evidence for medieval and earlier activity which will only be located through evaluation by trial trenching.
6. Recommendations
Recommendations for further work to ensure the adequate recording and/or protection of archaeological remains on the former HMS Ganges site are listed below.
1. A full photographic record of all structures currently extant on the HMS Ganges site for purposes of local history preservation.
2. Full survey and record of all remains of the 1862 Shotley Fort and the 1891 gun emplacement in their present state.
14 3. Request external experts in military technology to assess the importance of the remains of the Shotley Fort.
4. If the fort area is to be cleared prior to any construction work within its footprint the clearance would require continual monitoring and recording.
5. The area of the battery of Martello tower L should be investigated and surveyed to assess for remains of the battery. The subterranean area needs to be surveyed and recorded. Again, if significant remains are present an assessment of their importance with a view to preservation would be required.
6. Consultation of the SMR has indicated occupation on the Shotley peninsula since at least the Bronze Age period. All areas not thought to be affected by previous landscaping should be subjected to trial trenching in order to assess the level of archaeology present. Particular areas that would be worthy of trenching would be the sports fields in the northwest corner of HMS Ganges, the parade ground and the western half of the barrack area. Other zones that may be worth trenching are the areas around Martello tower L to check for the presence of a glacis and earlier features that could survive beneath the glacis. It may be prudent to excavate test holes in the areas thought to have been landscaped and terraced to ensure that no archaeological deposits are present. It may also be useful to examine any engineers test-hole data for information relating to levels of past ground disturbance.
Any opinions expressed in this report about the need for further archaeological work are those of the Field Projects Team alone. The need for further work will be determined by the Local Planning Authority and its archaeological advisors. Suffolk County Council’s archaeological contracting service cannot accept responsibility for inconvenience caused to clients should the Planning Authority take a different view to that expressed in the report.
15 ------
RIVER STOUR Scale 1: 0 Scale 1:10000
· ~ Suffolk County Council Environment & 'ft"ansport NORTH Grid North FIGURE 1: SITE LOCATION PLAN
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FIGURE 3: A PROSPECT OF THE TOWNE AND HARBOUR OF HARWICH, c.1714 ------
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'-· . a' ·' oi; fe~C !Oo~~S.~o~~======~==OO======I:====/=O~O=O~======~/~~O~O==~======~~jO OO ree ~ FIGURE 4: DEED PLAN 1901 (part) ------ .. ;. \ \ ' 111111"' B.S. W _,.o. o T.IJ N\' U ~Jut Grotmd ( R.N.) Blo · ~Suffolk County Council Scale 1:7500 Environment & 'n'ansport NORT H Gr id North FIGURE 5: ORDNANCE SURVEY- 1903 P. J. Thompson, MSc. CEng. FICE © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Director of Environment & Transport Suffolk County Council Licence No. LA076864 2002 St Edmund House, County Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk ------ -·/ / / ~ Suffolk County Council Scale 1:7500 Environment & 'lfanaport NORTH Grid North FIGURE 6: ORDNANCE SURVEY- 1926 P. J. Thompson, MSc. CEng. FICE © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Director of Environment & Transport Suffolk County Council Licence No. LA076864 2002 St Edmund House, County Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk - --- -·------ / laIrge earth mound / Presumably covering the former main magazine of Shotley Fort , .-L,..__. . J (entrance to NW) ·t, ,I I ...... : ' r. 189•f'gun e!(lplacement • . • .• .• . 0 . •••. . . • ...... : / and m\ agazine entrance • . • . • . • . 0 .. . 0 .•• . , cJ ...... • .• .• .0 .••••• . . . . . ' ...... __ p .. .• . . • . .0 . .•••••• ...... :; :; :; :; :; approximate extent of area < <~ ~ liable to have been subjected :::::::::: to extensive landscaping Suffolk Coun9 Council Scale 1:5000 Environm nt & 'fi'ansport NORTH FIGURE 7: DETAILS NOTED DURING ' . Grid North SITE VISIT - 30/01/2002 P. J . Thompson, MSc. CEng. FICE © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Director of Environment & Transport Suffolk County Council Licence No. LA076864 2002 SI Edmund House, County Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk ..._.,_.,,: ·. 1___;:-"" ·.. .. ::.r. -· • APPENDIX I SITES AND MONUMENTS RECORD AND I LISTED BUILDING PRINT-OUTS SMR: 1.:. ------1~::-_:t SUFFOLK COUNTY SITES AND MONUMENTS RECORD Parish Number SLY 001 Record Number 08465 --~------~J. G. R :-M 244- 343- ?."'.?.ISH .Shotley DISTRICT Babergh I rvr_~p No. -:'Y! 23 SW os No. SITE NAME Shotley Gate 1.;,;, FORM stray find PERIOD BA ''· -· ARTIFACT :"IPE 'j MATERIAL / SPECIFIC PERIOD .:. :.:· spearhead bronze MBA I LAND CLASS ON SITE other 3 built over AREA hectares HEIGHT OD metres I ... SITE MANAGEMENT HISTORY REPORTED 19510000 Everitt A J,' The Street, Shotley 1.: OTHER ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORY DESCRIPTION Bronze spearhead, socketed and looped. Reported (and found by?) Anthony J Everitt, May 1951 (S1) . ?Same as side looped spearhead listed by Rowlands as Group 1, 13.9cms x 2.5cms, IPSMG 1953.103 (S2). SOURCES (checked) I (S1) IPSMG, card Shotley MBA, 1951 . (S2) Rowlands M J, The Organisation of MBA Metalworking, BAR 31, 1976, number ·.· .. 1373 1 REFERENCES (unchecked) MATERIAL HELD LOCATION OF ARTIFACTS .-~,~ IPSMG 1953.103(?) PRIMARY SMR DATE: ------BY: SEW REVISED: 19880516 BY: CP 19920610 CP I INPUT: 19880503 BY: SR UPDATE: 19930810 BY: SR . FORM TYPE s I I I I I SUFFOLK CCUNTY SITES AND MONUMENTS RECORD Parish Number SLY 003 Record Number 08467 I N.G.R TM 244- 338- PARISH Shotley DISTRICT Babergh I ~~p No. TM 23 SW os No. FORM SLray find PERIOD Med I ARTIFACT TYPE / MATERIAL / SPECIFIC PERIOD pottery fired clay Cl3 I AREA hectares HEIGHT-OD metres SITE MANAGEMENT HISTORY I OTHER ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORY DESCRIPTION Neck of C13 jar, found at junction of rivers Stour and Orwell (Sl), I SOURCES (checked) (Sl) IPSMG, card 965-37, 1965 I REFERENCES (unchecked) MATERIAL HELD LOCATION OF ARTIFACTS I IPSMG 965-37 PRIMARY SMR DATE: - BY: SEW REVISED: BY: INPUT: 19880503 BY: SR UPDATE: BY: FORM TYPE s I I I I I I I I I I Suffolk County Council Sites and Monuments Record (Full Report) 11101/2002 . SMR Number SLY 010 SF8474 Record Type Monument Site Name Period Med I Pottery sherds. National Grid Reference I TM253337 Point Administrative Area I Civil Parish SHOTLEY, BABERGH, SUFFOLK Status and other references Parish Code - SLY 01 0 I National Monuments Record - TM23SE29 Sites & Monuments Record- 8474 I Type and Date Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD I Associated Finds (POTTERY) Medieval - 1201 AD to 1500 CLAY IPSMG AD I (POTTERY Medieval - 1201 AD to 1500 CLAY IPSMG THETFORD) AD I Description Pottery sherds. Thetford ware rim, C13 C14 C15 pottery, also C16/C17 glazed ware. Found on shore of River Stour (S1) (R1 ). . I Sources (S1) Index: IPSMG card, , Ipswich Museum, , IPSMG, card 1972-117, 1972 I (R1) Unpublished document: OS Card, , OS, , OS, card TM23SE29 I Associated Events Associated Individuals Plouviez Judith - Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Compiler I Hazleton·E Reported by I I I I I I MonFuiiRpt Page 1 of 1 I I Suffolk County Council Sites and Monuments Record (Full Report) 1110112002 I SMR Number SLY 032 SF8499 Record Type Monument Site Name Martello Tower 'L' Period PMed One of the Napoleonic E Coast towers built between 1810-1812, larger and later than those on the S coast. I National Grid Reference TM24823365 Point I Administrative Area Civil Parish SHOTLEY, BABERGH, SUFFOLK I Status and other references Parish Code - SLY 032 Sites & Monuments Record - 8499 I Scheduled Ancient Monument (Old county no)- 202 Type and Date I Martello Tower Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD Associated Finds I Description One of the Napoleonic E Coast towers built between 1810-1812, larger and later than those on the S coast. I 1977: This is one of two within the recently closed HMS Ganges training establishment, once linked together by other C19 fortifications (parts of which are discernible in the accretion of modern naval training works, but not worth scheduling). Tower 'L' is one of the longer type with moat and outer glacis. The moat has been filled up to the level of the original entrance. Glacis landscaped into garden. One window enlarged to make another entrance. Exterior pebble rendered. On top a mast I and water tank, but beneath these probably not much altered. One cannon set upright with pivot in nozzle. Interior not inspected. 1981: Exterior in good condition. Ground floor central pillar brick construction (as Shingle Street, Bawdsey), water tank and mast still on roof. Cannon not now evident. Moat area nettle and scrub covered with considerable amount of rubbish tipping I (mostly wood). 1985: Some original openings bricked up. Tower surmounted by mast and water tank, and radar arm plus occasionally manned lookout for Harwich harbour. Some rubbish in interior. Immediately surrounding area includes derelict garage and is overgrown with nettles, grass and brambles (S 1). 1991: Bottom ·ring' intact, surmounted by a water tower painted green (S2). I Sources (S1) : , , , , DOE, scheduling information I (S2) :, , , , Suff Pres Sac, (Paul Edwards} Survey, Table of Results, 1991 (M1) :, , , , SAMfile: I Associated Events SF12931 Event- Survey: Site Visit by DOE lAM (Sherlock D), 01/08/1975- I SF13569 Event- Survey: Site Visit by DOE FMW (Paterson H), 18/06/1981 - SF13819 Event- Survey: Site Visit by DOE FMW (Healy F), 06/12/1985- Associated Individuals I Eurosports Village ( - Eurosports Village (T Houlden, Manager) Shotley Land Owner Ga I Martin Edward- Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Compiler Carr Jane - Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Reviser I I MonFuiiRpt Page 1 of 1 I I I Suffolk County Council Sites and Monuments Record (Full Report) 1110112002 SMR Number SLY033 SF8500 Record Type Monument Site Name Martello Tower 'M' Period PMed I One of the 29 E Coast Napoleonic towers built 1810-1812, larger and later than those on the S coast. National Grid Reference I TM25133415 Point Administrative Area I Civil Parish SHOTLEY, BABERGH, SUFFOLK Status and other references I Parish Code - SLY 033 Sites & Monuments Record - 8500 Scheduled Ancient Monument (Old county no)- 203 I Type and Date Martello Tower Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD I Associated Finds Description I One of the 29 E Coast Napoleonic towers built 1810-1812, larger and later than those on the S coast. 1977: This is one of two within the recently closed HMS Ganges training establishment, once linked together by other C19 fortifications (parts of which are discernible in the accretion of modem naval training works but not worth scheduling). Tower 'M' is one of the smaller type with small moat. The exterior brickwork is quite good but has patches of cement rendering. I Windows blocked. On top a huge water tower and tank almost twice the height of the tower. Interior : entrance to both stairways blocked up. One third of the first floor is of York paving over the magazine below; the rest is of rotten wood. 1981: Exterior brickwork cracking badly in some places and wall bulging toW. Cement screeding round top falling away. I Some weeds and small shrubs growing on brickwork. Moat weed filled. 1985: Water tower still in use. Large crack in E side of wall of original Martello tower. Several generations of repairs to brickwork. Needs repainting and much more. Brambles, etc growing around top of tower (S 1 ). 1991: Bottom and second tier I intact (S2). Sources (S1) : , , , , DOE, scheduling information I (S3) Photograph: Air Photograph, , Essex County Council, , Essex C C, Strachan D, AP CP/96/14/13, June 1996 (S2) :, , , , Suff Pres Soc, (Paul Edwards) Survey, Table of Results, 1991 I (M1) : , , , , SAM file: Associated Events I SF13245 Event- Survey: Site Visit by DOE lAM (Sherlock D), 01/08/1975- SF13658 Event- Survey: Site Visit by DOE FMW (Paterson H), 18/06/1981 - I SF13871 Event- Survey: Site Visit by DOE FMW (Healy F), 06/12/1985 - Associated Individuals Eurosports Village ( - Eurosports Village (T Houlden, Manager), Shotley GLand Owner I Martin Edward - Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Compiler Carr Jane - Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Reviser I Pendleton Colin - Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Reviser I I MonFuiiRpt Page 1 of 1 I I I I SUFFOLK COUNTY SITES AND MONUMENTS RECORD Parish Number. SLY 045 I Record Number 08589 N.G.R TM 2410 3432 C I PARISH Shotley DISTRICT Babergh MAP No. TM 23 SW os No. FORM cropmark PERIOD Un I SITE TYPE I SPECIFIC PERIOD field boundary feature irregular enclosure I ARTIFACT TYPE I MATERIAL I SPECIFIC PERIOD LAND CLASS ON SITE cultivated land 4 I LAND CLASS AROUND cultivated land 4 -~EA hectares HEIGHT OD 15 metres SITE MANAGEMENT HISTORY I REPORTE~ 19770721 SAU CTHER A?.CRAEOLOGICAL HISTORY I DESCRIPT:ON Irregular enclosure (?) cropmark, circa 50m x 50m maximum, within area of occasional field boundaries etc. A series of possible features in a semi I circular (?) setting is visible just within the E and SE bounds of the enclosure (Sl) and an ovoid enclosure (SLY 059) is situated within the enclosure (S2) . I SOURCES (checked) (Sl) SAU, AP, AGK 09 (S2) Essex C C, Strachen D, AP, CPI96I14I11, 13 June 1996 I REFERENCES (unchecked) l'-1ATERIAL HELD I APs: (S1)(S2) LOCATION OF ARTIFACTS OTHER SITES 17205 I PRIMARY SMR DATE: 19880517 BY: CP REVISED: 19970113 BY: CP INPUT: 19880629 BY: SR UPDATE: 19971021 BY: SR FORM TYPE s I I I I I I I I I I SUFFOLK COUNTY SITES AND MONUMENTS RECORD Parish Number SLY 051 Record Number 12299 I N.G.R '!'M 2431 3429 :?.::~'=t!SH Shotley DISTRICT Babergh M.r;.:? No. :'M 23 SW os No. I FORM ::ropmark PERIOD Un SITE TYPE I SPECIFIC PERIOD ring ditch I ARTIFACT 7YPE I MATERIAL I SPECIFIC PERIOD h~ CLASS ON SITE cultivated land 4 L.~ CLASS AROUND cultivated land 4 I A.~EA hectares HEIGHT OD 23 metres s:TE MANAGEMENT HISTORY R::PORTED 19900610 McMasters Mrs I I OTHER ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORY I DESCRIPTION Ring ditch shown as cropmark, about 30m diameter (S1) . SOURCES (checked) I (S1) McMasters Mrs I, AP 44 & 45, 1990 REFERENCES (unchecked) MATERIAL HELD I APs: Mrs I McMasters 44 & 45 LOCATION OF ARTIFACTS I PRIMARY SMR DATE: 19910222 BY: CJB REVISED: BY: INPUT: 19910502 BY: SR UPDATE: BY: FORM TYPE s I I I I I I I • I I I . SUFFOLK COUNTY SITES AND MONUMENTS RECORD Parish Number SLY 059 Record Number 17205 I N.G.R TM 2410 3433 PARISH Shotley DISTRICT Babergh MAP No. TM 23 SW os No. I FORM cropmark PERIOD Un SITE TYPE I SPECIFIC PERIOD oval enclosure ARTIFACT TYPE I MATERIAL I SPECIFIC PERIOD I LAND CLASS ON SITE cultivated land 4 AREA hectares HEIGHT OD 20 metres I SITE MANAGEMENT HISTORY REPORTED 19960613 Essex C C (Strachen D) I OTHER ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORY DESCRIPTIGN Cropmark of ovoid enclosure, circa 20m by 15m, with entrance to SE within I ~rregular enclosure, SLY 045 (S1). SOURCES ~~~ecked) I (S1) Essex C C, Strachen D, AP, CPI96/14I11, 13 June 1996 REFERENCES (unchecked) M.~TERIAL 3ELD I .=\P: (S1; LOCATION GF ARTIFACTS OTHER SITES 08589 I PRIMARY SMR DATE: 19970113 BY: CP REVISED: BY: INPUT:· 19970116 BY: SR UPDATE: BY: FORM TYPE s I I I I I I~ I Listed Buildings: SHOTLEY off BRISTOL HILL I · (east side) 6/54 Ceremonial mast of the fdrmer Hr.1S Ganges, :toyal I Naval Training Establishment I! I Ceremonial mast of the former H~1S Ganges, Royal Naval Training establishment from 1907 to 1976. C19 and C20. Timber with standing rigging 143 ft high ~d consisting partly of the foremast of Hri!S Cordelia, a c;rvette paid off in 1900, and partly of the top mast of the s ailing b.attleship Agincourt, built in Portsmouth Dockyard I 1892. The top gallant and all yards renewed in 1955 and made in Chatham Dockyard as was the gaff when it was renewed in 1961. I I TM 23 Si•/ SHOTLEY off BRISTOL HILL 6/55 South 1-1artello Tower approx 200 metres east of Bristol I Hill on the site of former HMS Ganges, Royal Naval . J 7 Training Establishment ? I .. •·" II '. ~-1artello Tower. Circa 1808-1812. Roughcast brick. Stone rusticated dressings with keystones to 4 doorways. Windows blocked. Stone coping. The large circular tower now supports a tall metal tower with pointed leaded roof, a C20 brick look out room and a mast with 2 yards. The ground floor is brick vaulted, the ·arch springing from a brick centre column. Built as part of defensive system to East I and South Coasts during the Napeoleoni c wa.r-. This tower is of the larger, elliptical East Coast type. I I T!l! 23 SE SHOTLEY off BRISTOL HILL 7/56 North Martello Tower approx 500 metres east of Bristol Hill on the site of the I former HMS Ganges, Royal Naval.Training Establishment I II Martello Tower. Circa 1808-1812. Vari-coloured brick. Rusticated stone dressings with keystones to doors and wind0\'15, some of which are blocked. Stone coping. I Repairs and refacing to brick'.vork. The large circular tower now supports a black brick and metal water tower. Built as part of defensive system to East and South Coasts during the t~aoeolionic wa::-. This tower is of the larger, elliptical East Coast I type. I I