Ernesettle
Encyclopedia
Ernesettle was a hamlet
or farm that became one of the post-World War II
self-contained satellite suburbs built on the north western fringe of the enlarged city of Plymouth
, in the county of Devon
, England
as part of the plan to clear slums and provide new communities for citizens.
It lies beside the River Tamar
about half a mile north of the Tamar Road Bridge
and Brunel's Royal Albert Railway Bridge
. It is the site of the Royal Naval Armaments Depot
and MOD
Munitions. There are also many industrial companies operating in Ernesettle, such as Toshiba
and Vi-Spring. The area is currently having a lot of new buildings put in place, such as new houses, flats and the brand new Ernesettle Community School.
Ernesettle has had many notable residents over the years. Sir Francis Drake
lived in the community in the 16th Century, and married at St Budeaux
Church, where the records are preserved. Football's first £1m player, Trevor Francis
, also lived in Ernesettle during his childhood after his family moved settlement from Pennycross. Former Scotland international footballer and Plymouth Argyle
manager Paul Sturrock
has also lived in the suburb.
Ernesettle is one of several sites within the wider Plymouth and Devon area, listed for a possible waste incinerator or energy from waste
(EfW) facility. Opposition to this is growing considerably with the formation of the S.T.I.F.L.E. (Stop the Incinerator Fouling Land at Ernesettle) group which opposes the plan.
recommended a huge programme of new fortifications to defend Plymouth
. Ernesettle Fort (shown on Ordnance Survey
maps as "Ernesettle Battery") forms part of an arc of forts and batteries which were a defence against an overland attack.
The fort
is built 210 feet above sea level on a spur below St Budeaux
, overlooking the River Tamar
. It is trapezoidal
in shape and has a dry ditch on three sides, defended by caponier
s. It was designed to include a baracks for 60 men in casemate
s, open emplacements for 15 guns and bomb-proof emplacements for 6 mortars
. Construction started in 1863, but the fort wasn't armed until much later; by 1893 it had two 5-inch guns on disappearing mounts
, and three 64 pounder
muzzle loaders for close defence. The fort was disarmed soon afterwards, but remained in military hands and was in use in World War II
. The fort is now within the boundary of the RN Armaments Depot and is not open to the public.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
or farm that became one of the post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
self-contained satellite suburbs built on the north western fringe of the enlarged city of Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, in the county of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as part of the plan to clear slums and provide new communities for citizens.
It lies beside the River Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
about half a mile north of the Tamar Road Bridge
Tamar Bridge
The Tamar Bridge is a major road bridge at Saltash in southwest England carrying traffic between Cornwall and Devon. When it opened in 1961 it was the longest suspension bridge in the United Kingdom...
and Brunel's Royal Albert Railway Bridge
Royal Albert Bridge
The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge that spans the River Tamar in the United Kingdom between Plymouth, on the Devon bank, and Saltash on the Cornish bank. Its unique design consists of two lenticular iron trusses above the water, with conventional plate-girder approach spans. This gives...
. It is the site of the Royal Naval Armaments Depot
Royal Naval Armaments Depot
A Royal Naval Armament Depot was a group of armament depots dedicated to supplying the needs of the Royal Navy as well as the Royal Air Force, British Army and foreign/commonwealth governments; they were sister depots of Royal Naval Cordite Factories, Royal Naval Torpedo and Royal Naval Mine Depots...
and MOD
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
Munitions. There are also many industrial companies operating in Ernesettle, such as Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
and Vi-Spring. The area is currently having a lot of new buildings put in place, such as new houses, flats and the brand new Ernesettle Community School.
Ernesettle has had many notable residents over the years. Sir Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
lived in the community in the 16th Century, and married at St Budeaux
St Budeaux
St Budeaux is an area and ward in the north west of Plymouth in the English county of Devon.-Original settlement:The name St Budeaux comes from Saint Budoc, the Bishop of Dol . Around 480, Budoc is said to have founded a settlement and built a small church...
Church, where the records are preserved. Football's first £1m player, Trevor Francis
Trevor Francis
Trevor John Francis , is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England 52 times. He was England's first £1 million player...
, also lived in Ernesettle during his childhood after his family moved settlement from Pennycross. Former Scotland international footballer and Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
manager Paul Sturrock
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...
has also lived in the suburb.
Ernesettle is one of several sites within the wider Plymouth and Devon area, listed for a possible waste incinerator or energy from waste
Waste-to-energy
Waste-to-energy or energy-from-waste is the process of creating energy in the form of electricity or heat from the incineration of waste source. WtE is a form of energy recovery...
(EfW) facility. Opposition to this is growing considerably with the formation of the S.T.I.F.L.E. (Stop the Incinerator Fouling Land at Ernesettle) group which opposes the plan.
Ernesettle Fort
The 1859 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United KingdomRoyal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom
In 1859 Lord Palmerston instigated the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom because of serious concerns that France might attempt to invade the UK...
recommended a huge programme of new fortifications to defend Plymouth
Palmerston Forts, Plymouth
Several of the forts surrounding Plymouth were built as a result of a decision in Lord Palmerston's premiership to deter the French from attacking naval bases in the south of the country. The Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom reported in 1860 and resulted in a huge building...
. Ernesettle Fort (shown on Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps as "Ernesettle Battery") forms part of an arc of forts and batteries which were a defence against an overland attack.
The fort
Polygonal fort
A polygonal fort is a fortification in the style that evolved around the middle of the nineteenth century, in response to the development of powerful explosive shells....
is built 210 feet above sea level on a spur below St Budeaux
St Budeaux
St Budeaux is an area and ward in the north west of Plymouth in the English county of Devon.-Original settlement:The name St Budeaux comes from Saint Budoc, the Bishop of Dol . Around 480, Budoc is said to have founded a settlement and built a small church...
, overlooking the River Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
. It is trapezoidal
Trapezium
The word trapezium has several meanings:* - a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides ....
in shape and has a dry ditch on three sides, defended by caponier
Caponier
A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" - which strictly means capon-cote i.e. chickenhouse.The fire coming from the feature A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" -...
s. It was designed to include a baracks for 60 men in casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s, open emplacements for 15 guns and bomb-proof emplacements for 6 mortars
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
. Construction started in 1863, but the fort wasn't armed until much later; by 1893 it had two 5-inch guns on disappearing mounts
Disappearing gun
A disappearing gun is a type of heavy artillery for which the gun carriage enabled the gun to rotate backwards and down into a pit protected by a wall or a bunker after it was fired...
, and three 64 pounder
RML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun
The RML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun was a Rifled, Muzzle Loading naval, field or fortification artillery gun manufactured in England in the 19th century, which fired a projectile weighing approximately...
muzzle loaders for close defence. The fort was disarmed soon afterwards, but remained in military hands and was in use in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The fort is now within the boundary of the RN Armaments Depot and is not open to the public.