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Naval Gun Mount

At the turn of the twentieth century the Royal Navy had plans to make the Isles of Scilly the site of its main North Atlantic base.

Booms were to be constructed between various of the out-lying rocks and this battery was constructed to defend the anchorage in The Road.

The growing use of the Dreadnought style of battleship put paid to this plan as the entrances to the islands though the North West Passage and St Mary's Sound (the body of water seen in this picture) are not deep enough to accommodate the draught of those vessels. The plan was changed and Scapa Flow used instead.