20th Century
Guns were removed from the fort in the 1920s but after the outbreak of the World War II it was reactivated and manned by the Coastal Artillery. Just down the coast to the west of the fort range finder and searchlight positions were made. The remains of these positions still remain today.
After the war, the fort was decommissioned and it stood derelict for many years. Eventually it was offered for sale to property developers and in the early 1970s it was converted to 103 residential apartments. The fort’s position overlooking Plymouth Sound and within the beautiful Mount Edgcumbe Country Park make it highly desirable. A quiet rural retreat yet only a couple of miles as the crow flies from the urban sprawl of Plymouth.
A grand building, called the Officers’ Mess stands in an elevated position above the main fort complex. It is said that in order to meet the demands of the then landowner, the Earl of Edgcumbe, the officers mess had to emulate Warwick Castle, complete with towers and castellations. In the Spring of 2007 work was well under way to convert the Officers Mess into flats.
Read more about this topic: Picklecombe Fort
Famous quotes containing the word century:
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