the parapet to fire and then descend in a controlled manner, powered by the recoil. two 13-inch Mortars, on loan from the Royal Armouries, which were designed to fire 200-pound explosive shells. It is believed that they were used in the Crimean War, against Russia two 32 Pounder smooth-bore breech-loading guns from the 1880s, designed to fire case shot four replica 32-pounder smooth-bore breech-loading guns dating from 1997 two replica Armstrong 7-inch rifled breechloaders. These guns were first issued to the Navy in 1858, but were found to be not powerful enough, and so were sent instead to be mounted on the ramparts of land fortifications, such as Crownhill Fort. two muzzle-loading 32-pounder guns, which were rescued from Tregantle Fort in Cornwall, where they were being used as bollards. a muzzle loading 2-pound cannon, from the 1790s a carronade made by the foundry Bailey, Pegg and Co Ltd, from Staffordshire that points towards the countermining gallery. The Fort today Today Crownhill Fort is home to several small businesses and a holiday apartment. The Fort is open to the public on the last Friday of each month from January to November and by appointment for schools and groups at most other times. Visitors can see museum displays, watch demonstrations of Victorian firepower and take guided tours in the labyrinth of underground rooms and passages. In the past few years The Landmark Trust has been able to carry out various improvement works at the Fort. In 2010 a large number of mature trees were felled on the rampart and extracted by helicopter. Left unchecked these trees would have damaged the structures under the rampart. 2014 saw the end of a three-year project to clear self-seeded saplings on the counterscarp walls. This project has seen logging horses employed to allow the timber to be extracted and processed. Work to clear the Victorian Storm Drains to help alleviate flooding on the lower decks of the structure was completed in 2017. In 2018 work was undertaken outside the Fort to restore several concrete fence posts added in the 1920s and replace their wiring. Work on the Royal Artillery Store is due to begin in September 2018 to bring this derelict building back in to use as a workshop. External links Crownhill Fort official pages on Landmark Trust site Victorian Forts data sheet Tourist attractions in Devon Palmerston Forts Forts of Plymouth, Devon Landmark Trust properties