Went down to Cornwall this summer not far from my old uni haunts to check out some derps. Great bits of history amongst an impressive coastal landscape. So here we've got a kind of 2-for-1, a surf n turf so to speak. Both a WW2 Royal Navy refuelling depot, and a Victorian Palmerston fort battery. Decided to combine them as I only edited up a few of the best shots of each, and they're pretty close anyway. Scroll down for Grenville Battery as its after a fair few pictures 
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Cremyll Fuel Depot
History: So this place was located opposite Plymouth for Royal Navy ships to refuel during wartime, presumably going out to the English Channel or further. The site consisted of numerous huge underground and above-ground fuel tanks, and ancillary buildings no doubt involved in control and orchestrating the refuelling. It is located not far south from another naval refuelling base still in use today at Thanckes, north of Torpoint. This was also a wartime refuelling station and appears on Luftwaffe reconnaissance mapping.
Explore: Very different to the usual WW2 defensive sights structure-wise, but made for a nice change. We explored two fuel tanks; one fully above ground, and one buried but with a concrete/brick bunk above. The floor was basically the top of the giant drum and I could fell it flexing and buckling underfoot like a paper plate- only a matter of time before that gives way! We found many other structures including a pipeline into the sea down from the cliffs, and a large vehicle garage. But we sadly could not find the impressive flooded underground tanks, and given a restriction of time we moved onto the next site...
Grenville Battery:
History: Its all here guys https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenville_Battery but in short it was remodelled from a Napoleonic battery along the Maker defence line, rebuilt around 1887 into one of the many Palmerston forts built at great expense with little reason, except for paranoia against the French. It was upgraded with 4.7-inch QF guns by 1901 until they were removed in 1927, before being fully abandoned in 1948. It is now semi-abandoned and Grade-II listed. it takes the form more of an enclosed fort than a conventional battery, with gun batteries on the roof. According to Wikipedia; "It was overgrown for many years, but in 2020 the battery was cleared of undergrowth and accumulated rubbish by the Rame Conservation Trust, with financial support from Historic England."
Explore: Just all pretty straightforward really, with a great coastal view. We had a crack at some of the old wire wool spinning in one of the fairly small subterranean rooms. Nuff said.
View attachment
:Cremyll Fuel Depot
History: So this place was located opposite Plymouth for Royal Navy ships to refuel during wartime, presumably going out to the English Channel or further. The site consisted of numerous huge underground and above-ground fuel tanks, and ancillary buildings no doubt involved in control and orchestrating the refuelling. It is located not far south from another naval refuelling base still in use today at Thanckes, north of Torpoint. This was also a wartime refuelling station and appears on Luftwaffe reconnaissance mapping.
Explore: Very different to the usual WW2 defensive sights structure-wise, but made for a nice change. We explored two fuel tanks; one fully above ground, and one buried but with a concrete/brick bunk above. The floor was basically the top of the giant drum and I could fell it flexing and buckling underfoot like a paper plate- only a matter of time before that gives way! We found many other structures including a pipeline into the sea down from the cliffs, and a large vehicle garage. But we sadly could not find the impressive flooded underground tanks, and given a restriction of time we moved onto the next site...
One of my favourite derp pics I've taken yet. Something alien about this - beam me up into surreal explorations 
I like having an anonymous figure in my shots, it reminds the viewer of the 'experience', neo-romanticist?
I like having an anonymous figure in my shots, it reminds the viewer of the 'experience', neo-romanticist?
Grenville Battery:
History: Its all here guys https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenville_Battery but in short it was remodelled from a Napoleonic battery along the Maker defence line, rebuilt around 1887 into one of the many Palmerston forts built at great expense with little reason, except for paranoia against the French. It was upgraded with 4.7-inch QF guns by 1901 until they were removed in 1927, before being fully abandoned in 1948. It is now semi-abandoned and Grade-II listed. it takes the form more of an enclosed fort than a conventional battery, with gun batteries on the roof. According to Wikipedia; "It was overgrown for many years, but in 2020 the battery was cleared of undergrowth and accumulated rubbish by the Rame Conservation Trust, with financial support from Historic England."
Explore: Just all pretty straightforward really, with a great coastal view. We had a crack at some of the old wire wool spinning in one of the fairly small subterranean rooms. Nuff said.
View attachment
