Fort Austin

Fort Austin stands on the northern edge of Plymouth, a 19th-century fort built after the Royal Commission on National Defence of 1859. It was designed to protect the landward approaches to the North East of Plymouth and the Royal Naval Dockyard at Devonport. The fort was one of the Palmerston Forts, named after the Prime Minister who promoted the scheme. Captain Edmund Frederick Du Cane planned the fort, while George Baker and Company constructed it, with the Royal Engineers completing the work. It was armed with fifteen guns and five mortars, and a barrack block for sixty men was added later. The fort became obsolete by the early 1900s and was disarmed. During the Second World War it served as a base for the Devon and Cornwall Auxiliary Unit. In 1958 the War Office sold it to Plymouth City Council, and in 2008 it was Grade II listed. Today it houses a Thai Buddhist temple, established by Chao Khun Laow Panyasiri. Visitors find a well-preserved fort with thick stone walls and a central parade ground. The barrack block remains intact, and the temple buildings blend modern Thai design with the fort’s military structure. The site offers views over the surrounding area and the distant dockyard. The temple is open to the public, and its golden spires contrast with the grey stone of the fort. The grounds include small gardens and quiet corners for reflection.