grebeman
Old Codgers Group
- Name
- Barrie
This is an old Lloyds signal station at the west end of Gunrow Down and above Hilsea Point in south Devon. It was one of a chain of such stations that were particularly important in the days of sailing ships. Many such ships would have made voyages of several months duration so as they approached the UK they needed to receive orders from shipping agents as to where to sail to to discharge their cargo for the best price. Amongst various companies offering a communication service was Lloyds of London. The ship would stand in close to shore and identify itself to the signal station to see if they had any such messages for the ship which would then be able to act on the instructions received.
I would have thought that the rough stone for the building was quarried from just below the site at which it was built (as indeed my own cottage was built from a quarry just yards away, now filled in), although perhaps the dressed ston and obviously the brickwork was shipped in (remember the difficulty of shipping heavy goods across land before the advent of lorries)
Looking west, the conical island is the Greater Mewstone just east of the entrance to Plymouth Sound, beyond that Rame Head in Cornwall
A fireplace in the corner to keep the signalman warm and cosy on a winters day
All with DP1M
Barrie
I would have thought that the rough stone for the building was quarried from just below the site at which it was built (as indeed my own cottage was built from a quarry just yards away, now filled in), although perhaps the dressed ston and obviously the brickwork was shipped in (remember the difficulty of shipping heavy goods across land before the advent of lorries)
Looking west, the conical island is the Greater Mewstone just east of the entrance to Plymouth Sound, beyond that Rame Head in Cornwall
A fireplace in the corner to keep the signalman warm and cosy on a winters day
All with DP1M
Barrie