Gun Cliff Gardens. It is thought that the first look-out station appeared at the mouth of the river in Roman times. Since then the narrow channel opposite what is known as the Gun Cliff has been well defended. In the Civil War the site was garrisoned to prevent seaborne relief to the besieged Royalists in Exeter. In the mid 19th Century the Gun Cliff field formed gardens to the Trefusis Terrace houses, The Devon Volunteer Artillary established a replacement battery, on the beach, some 100 yards south east of this site in 1862. The remains of foundations can sometimes be seen beneath the shifting sands.