Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - Defence of the Realm - Penarth Head Fort and Coastal Battery . . .

Cliff House on Upper Cliff, became Artillery House and thus part of the Penarth Head Fort and Coastal Battery. A section of the OS map published in 1885 indicates the location of Upper Cliff. [010] [398]

1901 - Our Coast Defences - The plans for a fort at Penarth are awaiting final approval at the War Office, but the contract has already been let to Mr. Gibson, who erected the electric light battery at Penarth. The guns will probably be those known as 4.7 in., the calibre being the same as those which in the nick of time were conveyed from his Majesty's ship Powerful to Ladysmith and gave such valuable assistance in the defence of that town. - Evening Express [135] [361] 18th September 1901.

1902 - Fort on Penarth Head - Local Gentleman's Claim - On Tuesday at King's Bench, Court 10, London, an arbitration was opened in which the parties, were the War Office and Mr Cottam, of Penarth The claim was for £ 5,786, value placed upon the Cliff House, Penarth, and lands required by the Imperial authorities for the purposes of a fort. The Solicitor-General recently visited the district, and £ 2,750 was offered.

The arbitrator was Mr Fowler, of Sheffield. The Solicitor-General was for the War Office, and Mr S. T, Evans, K.C., M.P., and Mr Arthur Lewis (instructed by Mr James Morgan) were for the claimant. Shortly after the proceeding had been opened an arrangement was come to that the claimant receive £ 3,150. [equivalent to £305,825 in October 2022]

The witnesses on behalf of Mr Cotham were Messrs Geo Thomas and J. E Gunn, and for the War Office Messrs D. T. Alexander, Edwin Corbett, and S. Green (London).

The claim was for the house and lands, for damage done by the erection of the forts, and for reinstating claimant in similar premises. -  The Cardiff Times [019] [361] 20th December 1902.