A HISTORIC military building overlooking the Cornish coast has been granted protected status, recognising its important role in the county’s defensive past.

Casemate Barracks at Whitsand Bay Holiday Park near Torpoint was officially awarded Grade II listed status in 2025 by Historic England, making it the only site in Cornwall among ten newly protected buildings across the South West this year.

Constructed between 1888 and 1894, the casemate barrack block formed part of Whitsand Bay Battery, a key coastal defence installation designed to protect the naval dockyards at Plymouth from long-range attack.

Built into the battery’s central rampart, the red-brick structure was designed to be bombproof, with vaulted ceilings offering additional protection for the gunners stationed there.

Historic England said the building was listed for its architectural interest, historic significance and group value with the surrounding Whitsand Bay Battery and nearby Practice Battery, both of which are scheduled monuments. Craftsmanship details, including timber and glass screens on the north elevation, were also highlighted as part of its special interest.

The barracks once accommodated around 40 soldiers and may have been used during both the First and Second World Wars, later serving briefly as a radar station. Following its release by the Ministry of Defence in 1951, the site became part of a holiday park in 1955. Today, the barrack block has been adapted for use as a bar and restaurant, though a modern extension added in the early 21st century has been excluded from the listing.

Casemate Barracks is one of 199 sites added to the National Heritage List for England over the past year, joining more than 400,000 protected buildings, monuments and landscapes nationwide.

Co-chief executives of Historic England, Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, said the newly listed sites “reveal the fascinating history that surrounds us all”, helping to safeguard important stories for future generations.