East Weare Camp

East Weare Camp is a defensive barracks dating from approximately 1870 to 1880, later adapted for coastguard use. Constructed from snecked and dressed rubble with some remaining slate roofs, the camp consists of two rectilinear buildings set on a levelled slope and enclosed by a quadrangular wall of approximately 35 metres square. There are projecting corner units to the south and north, along with the remains of other structures within the courtyards. The camp is situated on the slopes of The Verne, approximately 175 metres west of Incline Road, and is approached by a climbing zigzag route.

The principal south-western front is a broad, single-storey elevation. The central entrance features a wide, semi-circular arch constructed with heavy pecked rusticated quoins, voussoirs, and a keystone under heavy roll-mould coping. The entrance door is set slightly forward and rises above the enclosure wall, although partially obscured by a modern steel structure intended to protect the failing roofs. Blocked openings are present on all elevations, with remnants of timber window units. Lintels have been raised to accommodate inserted gun ports, and iron plates cover musket slits. The main elevations have chamfered cills, and cast-iron vents are located at upper level between the openings. The wall is topped by a heavy roll-mould cornice. Flanking the entrance are collapsed hipped slate-roofed workshops. The entrance arch is repeated on the courtyard side. The entrance to the north-west workshop features two cast-iron columns on pad stones, supporting the remains of a former roof structure. Each workshop contains a stone division wall with chimney breasts on each side. Several 19th-century iron fixtures remain, including door pintles, and some floors are still covered in flagstones. A roofless brick addition is attached to the north-west, extending along the enclosure wall to meet the lower section of the courtyard, accessible by steps.

The enclosure walls on the north-west and south-east sides slope down from the workshops to the barracks. The north-east building served as a barrack block, also with a heavy roll-mould cornice. The lower openings on the left side are blocked, and upper level contains deep-set cast-iron windows. In the centre and right, there are various openings, and a structure at upper level with external stairs likely associated with a later coastguard observation point. An outlook tower in the east corner of the courtyard also relates to this later use. The north-east barracks building was structurally unsound and could not be internally inspected. All buildings have experienced some collapse and vandalism. The site is generally overgrown, making a complete external inspection difficult.