Brean Down Fort was built above sea level on the headland at
Brean Down, south of
Weston-super-Mare,
Somerset, England.
The site has a long history, because of its prominent position. The earliest recorded settlement is from the Early to Middle
Bronze Age.
The current buildings were construicted in the 1860s as one of the
Palmerston Forts to provide protection to the ports of the
Bristol Channel, and was decommissioned in 1901. During
World War II it was rearmed and used for experimental weapons testing.
The site has been owned by the
National Trust since 2002, following a £431,000 renovation project, as part of its Brean Down property and is open to the public.
The fort was used as a location for filming of the second episode, "Warriors", of the
BBC television drama
Bonekickers.
Bronze Age to Roman
The earliest record settlement is from the Early to Middle
Bronze Age. It is now on an exposed cliff as the land has been eroded by the sea. Bronze Age artefacts from the site include pottery and jewellery. Most of the finds are now in the
Museum of Somerset in
Taunton.
The site has also produced Roman gold and silver coins of the emperors
Augustus,
Nero,
Drusus and
Vespasian and a cornelian ring.
Palmerston Fort
Brean Down Fort forms part of a
line of defences, known as
Palmerston Forts, built across the channel to...
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