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The Daymark, Kingswear
The Daymark, Kingswear
2 of 2
The Daymark, Kingswear
The Daymark - Kingswear
The Daymark was built in 1864 by the Dartmouth Harbour Commissioners.
This hollow, octagonal tower is built of limestone and rises to 80ft (24m) high on tall arched legs. It was built as a guide to mariners to the position of the harbour entrance. It is visible for many miles out to sea. Dartmouth harbour is notoriously difficult to find from the sea. In 1863, Charles Seale Hayne, the owner of Brownstone at that time, became a founder member of the Dartmouth Harbour Commission, whose main aim was to improve access and facilities to Dartmouth harbour. The following year, Seale Hayne leased land for the erection of this tower as a day beacon.
It can be reached from the South West Coastal Path just inland from Froward Point. Alternatively, park at Brownstone Car Park (grid ref SX904510). Then it's a gentle walk along a tarmac drive through farmland towards the sea. There are spectacular views across Start Bay and the Dart Estuary. Birds such as the cirl bunting, yellowhammer, skylark, buzzard and peregrine falcon can be spotted. When you get a little closer you'll find a short waymarked path across an arable field from the tarmac track to the Day Mark building.
As you walk down the track from the car park, the concrete surface, concrete posts and wire fencing serve as a clue to the activity that took place here during the Second World War. In the 1940s, the track provided access to the emergency coastal battery at Inner Froward Point, known as Brownstone Battery, where many of the original buildings can still be seen. The battery was built around 1942, when German U-boats posed a serious threat to shipping. The battery served to protect Dartmouth Harbour and the Slapton sands area from attack.
Visit nearby - Coleton Fishacre
Details of walk from Kingswear to Froward Point passing by The Daymark