Woolpack Volunteer Centre
A converted naval gun battery built in 1900 is a home for our team of residential volunteers.
The Woolpack Battery was built in 1900 to house two 9" breech loading naval guns. This was part of a series of defences constructed on St Mary's to defend the Western Approaches when a perceived military threat to the British Isles came from France. These include a fortified caretaker's quarter, generator-house and searchlight emplacements and two smaller batteries. The Woolpack Battery is a twin with the nearby Steval Battery although they are not identical.
The Woolpack Battery did not have an active military history and the guns were never fired for attack. The battery was decommissioned in 1906 after Britain and France signed the 'Entente Cordiale', which marked an end to centuries of conflict between the two nations.100 years after being built, The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust converted the battery, a listed building and scheduled ancient monument, into the Woolpack Volunteer Centre to accommodate up to 13 volunteers. The conversion has not changed the basic structure of the building and almost all of the original features of the battery have been retained.
