We Explored An Abandoned Fort off the Coast of Britain

For generations, Drake's Island, situated just outside of Plymouth harbour, had been owned by the Ministry of Defence. Recently, however, this island bastion has gone into private ownership.
In this documentary Bob King, the gatekeeper of Drake's Island, gives Dan an exclusive tour of this extremely-militarised scrap of land.
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[@RobertKing-z5s]

Hi, it's Bob here I filmed this with Dan a couple of years ago and have carried on my research since then but just to answer a couple of things that came up in the comments. The MoD or Govt never owned the Island it was in the hands of the Duchy of Cornwall since the late 1200's and was returned to them when the military left in 1963. It was then leased out to various organisations during the Adventure Training years from 1963 to 1989. When the centre closed it was put for sale and finally bought by Dan McCauley in 1996 for a little shy of £300k. Dan didn't get planning permission until 2017 so the Island couldn't be developed until that point although Dan admitted he could have looked after the Island better. Dan was ill by this stage and the Island was put up for sale by the family - it was Dan's project and the rest of the family had other interests and couldn't devote the time required to the Island - and bought by Morgan Phillips in 2019 with the planning permission. Although he has opened the Island up there were no funds to develop the Island when I stopped working for the Phillips last October. Just fulfilling the pre commencement conditions on the planning permission including repairing the sea wall at the back, the collapsed boatshed and repairing the pier will cost millions and has to be done before any other development can take place. Sad to say it doesn't look like the Island will get developed under the current owner unless he can attract substantial funds from investors. If you would like to read more about the Island I'm on facebook - search for the history of Drake's Island - and I have a blog at historyofdrakesisland.co.uk/ which covers all sorts of Island related history from surveys going back to the first fortifications, the children born on the Island, brandy smuggling, a master gunner defrauding the Govt and absconding to America and lots more. Happy to answer any replies on here as and when I get time.

[@christopherbeattie3126]

That gatekeeper is good at his job. Very informative

[@Arkanic]

Bob really seems to care for the island and it's history, he did a fantastic job presenting it.

[@therealunclevanya]

My mum and dad met because HMS Ark Royal grounded off Drakes Island @ 1961. My dad got shore leave and was able to go to his brothers wedding where he met my mum.

[@simon-oy6um]

Very nice 😂😊

[@simon-oy6um]

The only time it was attacked was by german bombers 😮

[@stephenchappell7512]

​@@simon-oy6um Wrong Ark He's referring to the 'Park' Royal 1950 - 1979

[@RegulareoldNorseBoy]

Sometimes war creates lives, I guess 😀

[@samuelgarrod8327]

​@@RegulareoldNorseBoyin times of stress we resort to primal instincts.

[@joehodgson2815]

That guide is amazing, well done to him!

[@stevengordon3407]

The gate keeper is amazing! I'd love a tour with him as the guide, I'd be more interested than Dan

[@Milehousestudios]

Up until recently he was the main tour guide. I took the tour a couple of years back. It was every bit as good as you'd imagine.

[@Lee_Proffit]

Yep, I picked up on that as well 😞

[@murder13love]

Have lived in Plymouth for over 15 years and cant wait to one day check out this island.

[@will-i-am-not]

Well that's never then as it's private now

[@murder13love]

@@will-i-am-not its being opened up to the public for events etc. 🤡

[@Milehousestudios]

It's easy to book a tour online and I recommend it. £25.50

[@murder13love]

@@Milehousestudios brilliant, thank you!

[@andrewferries8804]

I had a week here when I was about 16. We did abseiling, canoeing,rock climbing and sailing!!! Absolutely loved it!!!!

[@stephenforrow2333]

My Dad was an instructor for a while. Got temporary leave from the RAF to instruct during a summer. He took the whole family. Wife and 3 kids. I still have memories!

[@damianbutterworth2434]

I went to a similar place at Fairbourne Wales and did all that stuff. Normally scared of heights but seemed ok when instructors were there.

[@davidbaumanis6981]

I was lucky enough to spend two weeks on the island back in 1973 with the adventure training group so got to explore the whole place it was fantastic Thank you so much for bringing back some wonderful memories

[@madcarew5168]

1st scuba trip Bovy 1978..came back with 2 large cannonballs just off Drakes Island,still got em!

[@GapeGang]

Bob is an incredible guide!

[@user-eg3yv3xr7s]

Soooo much history here, every effort to preserve this place should be made !!!!!!

[@007Davis]

Why has this not been turned into a museum it would be fantastic.

[@aaronleverton4221]

Money. Lots and lots and lots of money. Also, some more money. Did you notice how many areas were fenced off? All of them have to be made safe prior to the public being allowed in.

[@Beejayize]

The authorities want to make it a hotel

[@cheguevara19]

As Aaron's mentioned, lots and lots of money. Imagine the cost of transporting all the materials needed to make it safe and then to add the museum infrastructure by boat? It'd be super pricey. Then there's the cost of tickets. Visitors would have to pay the cost of a boat trip on top of the usual museum entry costs, and that would make it less appealing than, say, a museum on the mainland. Especially if you're a family with kids that need paying for too. And sure, you could make kids entry free, but they'll still take up seats on the boats.

[@stevehall9333]

In any other country this would be a restored attraction, but it's in England, so it's allowed to rot away....

[@stevehall9333]

​@@aaronleverton4221 Get a load of volunteers together and money from the lottery. This country has billions for foreign wars and welfare, so it's nothing to do with money.

[@Humbledoor]

As a 12 year old my friends and I camped over night on Drakes island, there are numerous tunnels below, one is blocked halfway to the mainland! we had many a great time during the summer holidays. How did we get there....by canoe! Hide and seek in the tunnels....wonderful times!

[@Staticjokes]

Used to live in plymouth & heard many wild stories about drakes island. Great video, very nostalgic!

[@robertscott4728]

Great video. Wonderful island and tour guide.

[@NoOrdinaryRabbit93]

I used to stare out at this Island imagining it as my escape point for a zombie apocalypse. Still a good spot IMO

[@digitalbegley]

Haha you and the rest of Plymouth!

[@davidward9264]

Went there doing some tidying up when doing my basic training at Raliegh back in the mid 1960s getting it ready for the adventure training to commence there

[@Johnny-w15]

The 60s shipmate ,,,,, bloody hell I was there 98! Sailed past that island many times on type 23s

[@grrfy]

I visited this place in the 80s when was at Raleigh

[@comeonthegreens]

Bobs knowledge is evidently phenomenal! Very interesting!

[@TarkaChops]

Best video I've seen on an interesting part of British History for ages. More like this please.

[@michaelwake5600]

Fantastic detail from the Guide, what an interesting chap. I spent a week sailing climbing and canoeing when it was an adventure camp 1970s Lovely memories

[@colinruscoe-hawksworth180]

I can remember staying on the Island back in 1988 for a week as part of my YTS (Youth Training Scheme) when it was an outward bound activity centre. Watching this brought back memories of going down into the ammunition dumps and we also bivouacked on the open ground at the top of the Island.

[@rabbiboazmarmon7723]

I had approximately the same experience at approximately the same time! I remember climbing through catacombs in the magazine, kayaking in Plymouth Sound, and crane absailing off a cliff side.

[@FreeFallingAir]

This was fantastic, very knowledgeable gatekeeper/grounds historian as well.

[@andrewmarch7891]

What a place and what an amazing memory of historical details.

[@countryboy57954]

Brilliant and informative The Gatekeeper has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of the island A great view!

[@iainpaton1865]

All I can say is absolutely amazing 😊

[@ragnarosdanneskjold3743]

These longform videos are incredible, great work

[@stuartwhelan233]

Bob is a absolute legend wow he knew everything about the island l really enjoyed watching that best thing on KZbin for ages. Thanks from Carlisle Cumbria

[@JerryRussell-cv6ng]

Awesome video, Thank you. From Texas

[@humptydumpty9177]

As a boy I stayed on Drakes Island for a few days when it was an adventure centre and I visited the Island again last year when all the memories came flooding back. It's an Island that few Plymothians ever get to visit, but it's also very precious to every Plymothian.

[@jonzillaz]

Fantastic tour from Bob King. Thoroughly enjoyed his knowledge and input. Makes one wonder though, was there any requirement for Dan to be in this production at all?

[@PopularMonsterUSA]

I love these videos! So cool!

[@smudge600]

I’m Plymouth “born & bred” and very proud of my City & it’s heritage. I have been on the island 3 times. The most recent was three weeks ago with a guided tour which was brilliant. I recommend the tour as it was a really interesting couple of hours.

[@darrenjones3681]

I spent a lot of time on Drakes island both when it was a youth adventure centre and with permission to land when it still was with my kayaking club as a youth.

[@pedenmk]

Wow. What a great historical place to see. I would love to visit this someday. Thanks for sharing.

[@survivalzoneswitzerland6697]

They used to run outward bound weeks from there in the late 70's early 80's, it was a cold wet windy awesome time

[@davidpage4005]

We started them in the early to mid 60's through our youth club at Virginia house. I was one of the lads that would have took you out onto Dartmoor for the week, then it would have been back to the island for sailing, canoeing and rock climbing experiences.! There is a "Pathe News" video clip from 1965 here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5bIZImEqZJ9isk - my mate Phil Dent can soon be seen swinging a sledge hammer, and I am seen in it at 0:55 on the right, 1:02 to 1:05 at the top of the climbing slope, and at 1:23 putting my canoe into the water. They were great days, and I wouldn't have missed them for the world, although Mum and Dad did get a bit worried about me being out on Dartmoor during a whole school summer holiday, with only a day or two break at weekends to collect fresh food stocks and another set of lads from the island's boat at Millbay.!

[@oneshotme]

I very much enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@colinveitch9815]

Fantastic video well presented brilliant.

[@williamrobinson7435]

I've always been curious about Drake's Island as my Dad was a Janner.. Extra interesting! Nice one Dan and team. 🌟👍

[@tonyjedioftheforest1364]

Brilliant video thank you for sharing

[@matthewwilson5548]

wow! that was awesome! this was an example why I love this channel. : )

[@SRSR-pc8ti]

Fascinating and informative 👍 I grew up in Plymouth and Drake's Island was always a mystery.

[@Carrera-gp9od]

This was absolutely fascinating 👍🏻

[@TMFShooting]

Very Interesting '' Another Great Video 💯, thanks for Sharing 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

[@tarqscam8491]

Loved this Thank you.

[@andymedland489]

Lucky enough to have done two week long adventure training courses, the first when at school in 1968 and the second in 1970 when a cadet. On the first trip one of the underground magazines still contained gymnasium equipment from its military days. The adventure courses were run in a very disciplined military style fashion and we were required to polish the accomodations floors and clean the facilities daily. After the 1968 course i spent several weekends with a club which occupied the gun casement on the Eastern side of the island, happy days.

[@TheExsoldier1]

True expert in the history of that island...It became a passion of his that brings the island history to life!

[@5tailrace]

Friends in Plymouth bought me a tour here for my birthday last year. Really interesting and a couple of used blank cartridges as souvenirs.

[@AlexrsGAME]

I am from Plymouth myself and this video has been really entertaining to watch, to know so much of drakes Island that I wish andnwouldnlive to visit just so see the history of the place myself, but also happy this video shows a bit of plymouth history as well

[@chasejdmartin]

Hello from Plymouth!

[@gerardhogan3]

Greetings from Australia. Of course Dan is the man.....a bloody legend.

[@charlesowen4728]

I was on the staff as a sailing instructor in around 1972/3. Enjoyed some fine sailing and canoeing around the island and the sound. The accommodations were all very basic, harking back to its most recent time as a military base. My first berth was in the centre battery right on top of the island. It would certainly not be regarded as fit accommodation there days, little better than a concrete cave. I did have some great sailing and happy times . Very font memories of a beautiful place and nice people

[@jeffmartin2973]

Very well made.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

It was an informative and wonderful historical coverage video about a British military frontier island as a constant naval frontier castle..

[@BinnyBongBaron_AoE]

I live in Plymouth, so this is so interesting to me!

[@klemmr3233]

I learned to dive at Bovisand. Dived here a lot in the 80s.

[@peterbenson336]

During the early 1970's this was an adventure centre, with abseiling down the walls where the old Derrick used to be, dinghy sailing and kayaking immediately off the island and rock-climbing on a Tor on the nearby moor (I think it was Dartmoor).

[@davidpage4005]

See my comments above, it was at the Dewerstone at Shaugh bridge.!

[@joshhoffman1975]

Very interesting, thanks! ❤😃

[@thefragrantwookiee]

Very glad to hear that they're looking to develop public access (I was born in Plymouth and love forts but have never set foot on the island). Anyone wanting to visit a site that has a very similar history (Tudor, Civil War, Napoleonic, Palmerston, WW1 & WW2) should head to Dartmouth Castle (English Heritage) further east in Devon. It's on a much smaller scale but is fully accessible and has the Victorian casemates reconstructed (I worked there for several years and love it!).

[@TJH1]

Bloody good video, genuinely interesting and could have been much, much longer. I spent more than four years looking out at that island and occasionally sailing around it. Would love to have been able to explore it.

[@chrisround7244]

I got married at Mount Edgecombe in 2016. This episode was fantastic for me and I can’t wait to visit.

[@422katieleigh]

I’ve been to England once and spent most of my time in and around the Plymouth shores. This was fun to watch.

[@juliehollandblubookkeeping8027]

Fascinating place

[@stephengraham1153]

I used to live in an old Victorian house on Plymouth Hoe until around 1966 (until I was around 6 years old). Looking left out of the bay window you could see Drake's Island. There was still a lot of bomb damage around on the Hoe, even 20 years after the end of WW2. Of course it has all completely changed now.

[@darrenhitchcox6345]

As a Plymouth resident, I have been on the island twice. In the 1980's I attended the Adventure Centre and had fun with the artificial caves and water sports. I got a further trip to the Island in the 1990's when it was under care of Groundwork Trust. I remember they were clearing vegetation and found a what they said to be an old bell prison which would have dated back many years. This was not linked to any other building and was a separate hole in the ground. I suspect this is still under the vegetation now as the Island was left for 20+ years after Dan McCaully purchased it.

[@fnln544]

Gatekeeper: what an incredible job to have overlooking the historic island.

[@ninja2kernow]

Used to be able to take a ferry and go around the island.I got stuck up the climbing wall aged 6 in the 70s.

[@DavesGarden1714]

Brilliant video the presenter certainly knows his stuff

[@JupiterLune]

Amazing. I was brought up in Plymouth, I knew the Island well. I nwent to the Adventure Centre, asged 9, in 1980/1, and explored all of the tunnels and even climbed up the ammunition shafts, deep inside. Climbed on the huge guns, fished on the beaches, absailed down the cliffs. It was real "Boys Own/Treasure Island" Stuff. Very nostalgic to see all of these things, over 40 years, later. I'd love to go back again, but it's privately owned and nothing has been done there for ages. Sad, really.

[@Estasios]

I live here and have always wanted to go. Looks really interesting!

[@alanmoore2197]

Very interesting topic

[@patrickpayne8330]

Pure BRILLIANCE

[@rcfurse]

My troop of Royal Engineers pulled all the Armstrong guns out from where they were buried in the summer of 1982. The lads used chain hoists (horizontally) and perfectly understandably, called it Devil's Island given the work was back breaking.

[@bobuilt10]

What an interesting guy. Bob certainly knows his onions.

[@benyoung4305]

My dad and his brothers grew up in Stonehouse, he told me stories about going to Drake's island on school trips.

[@Pyjamarama11]

What a fascinating man

[@wbbartlett]

MOD should have 'gifted' this back to the nation, not sold it to a private individual, however well-intentioned that person may initially be.

[@snidely_whiplash]

US Government does the same.

[@RustyShackleford66]

Cant beat the power of the brown envelope.

[@4362mont]

Given.

[@digitalbegley]

That would make the most amazing bespoke hotel. I'm sure great museum as well

[@matthewc4590]

Dan's such a peacock. He didn't really have anything to add to the episode, tbh. The tour guide is, however; brilliant.

[@TheScandoman]

Clearly, that is the point! I am not a huge Dan-fan, but, he made it clear, he had only seen the island from the water; never been on it; and just knew a little bit of its history, (a bit more of its history than your average pub-crawler, because he is a history 'buff'...). If he 'came on strong', spouting all sorts of blather that he read in books, you would be coming down hard on him for rudely 'upstaging' his host/guest/topical expert! Try to be smarter than a 'bot! 😮

[@seansamurai1981]

As a minor correction, it's been in private ownership for decades, since the 90s if memory serves. It's only recently been "opened" by the new owner for guided tours and certain events. Overall the new owner has really done Plymouth a good service.

[@simonjohnston9488]

Not sure if barring the public from its' history for decades could be considered a ''good service'.

[@seansamurai1981]

@@simonjohnston9488 it's a new owner. The old owner and the football manager beforehand did that

[@austinseven4720]

Dan Macauley(then the chairman of Plymouth Argyle) held it privately for a long time. He always talked about fanciful ideas of hotels, and even a long lasting (if insane) rumour about building Argyle a new stadium out there(!), but ultimately did absolutely nothing with it while what little was there continued to rust and decay. The new owners at least, seem to want to do something with it.

[@stopthatluca]

Incredible, this guy is a walking encyclopedia

[@russcattell955i]

Moved to Plymouth in 63, spent 40 years there. Did a fair bit of boating but never went ashore on the island. Doubt I ever will.

[@grrfy]

went here back in the 80s, cool place

[@puck349]

FYI: "In October 2018, the island was put up for sale for £6 million. It was purchased by Morgan Phillips. Phillips plans to open the island to the public with a museum and heritage centre, thirty years after previously closing." Wikipedia

[@rwm4738]

Those big guns at 6:43 are Rifled Muzzle Loaders manufactered at the Woolwich Arsenal. Armstrong guns where never that big in caliber and were early breech loaders.

[@voornaam3191]

22:19 These were brand new canoes (kayaks), GRP was what carbon fibre epoxy is today. Many canoes during the sixties were... wood!

[@Nieghorn]

Dan, or anyone reading this, if you're ever on Vancouver Island, you have to check out Fort Rodd Hill, which still has some guns! And dive into the other gun emplacements that were here (hint: the CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum has the plans on vellum, which aren't accessible to the public, but maybe a famous documentarian could show to the world! :D )

[@will5989]

I was there in the 70s, the sailing was great but the compulsory morning swims were miserable….we never had time to look around.

[@mokoarlyana1481]

Lived in Plymouth for 2 years. Sailed near the island many times but we never landed.

[@Beefy2203]

In the 1980’s you could get a boat trip onto Drakes Island, I remember walking round all the gun emplacements as a youngster

[@alamocannon3791]

Reminds me of the Northe Fort at Newhaven

[@dominiclester3232]

Very interesting, thanks! (Ps. DevOnport typo)

[@ChristopherSloane]

It would be great to convert part of the barracks to some sort of tourist or restaurant/entertainment venue and clean up the island resoring it.

[@user-fr6zs5zo5i]

Fantastic

[@ChrisFEJackson]

Anyone that can keep Dan quiet gets my vote! It's not a job for him more of a vocation. Nice one Bob. I remember back in '78, the Queen's silver jubilee, there was a giant outline of a crown that lit up on Drake's Island in celebration. We are spoilt down here, with such places within easy reach, plus the moors just 20 minutes away.

[@SteveKiberd]

I grew up in this area and was lucky enough to sail past the island a lot as a kid. Plymouth has so much history attached to it. Its a very poor city but i consider myself incredibly lucky to have grown up next to it.

[@richardwakelin843]

In the 70s I was at primary school and we came here for an adventure holiday for a week. We did sailing. Snorkeling, climbing up the buttresses to the island, and canoeing, we actually canoed behind HMS ARK ROYAL on her return home final active duty voyage, and they fired the guns for her from Plymouth citadel it was quite a week

[@Disco-Terry]

Like everyone else has said, the guide is very good at his job.

[@Johnny-w15]

Arrrrg I have been past the island many times , as a part of ship hand on type 23s and as a quartermaster driving them in and out of Devonport dockyard in Guzz Memories

[@adventurebeforedementia.2248]

Stayed there twice for a week 1970 and 71, sailing,canoeing and climbing etc,spam sandwiches every day for lunch 😂 never forget it,fantastic 😀