Monument record MDO45858 - Coastal Defence/Chain Home Low (CD/CHL) radar station M91, Durlston, Swanage

The site of a Coastal Defence/Chain Home Low (CD/CHL) radar station at Durlston. It was built by the British Army to monitor shipping and aircraft during the Second World War. CD/CHL sites opened from 1941 and comprised either a Nissen hut or brick/concrete operations block with an aerial gantry mounted on the roof and a separate standby set house for the reserve power. Staff were billeted where possible, but some stations had a small layout of domestic hutting situated within one mile of the site. Durlston station was closed by the end of 1942 and aerial photography from 1961 shows that the structures had been removed and the site was a coastal path and open area.

A Coastal Defence/Chain Home Low Station located at Durlston (SZ 035 781), called site M91. Coastal Defence/Chain Home Low (CD/CHL) radar stations were operated by the British Army to detect shipping and aircraft. CD/CHL sites opened from 1941 and comprised either a Nissen hut or brick/concrete operations block with an aerial gantry mounted on the roof and a separate standby set house for the reserve power. Staff were billeted where possible, but some stations had a small layout of domestic hutting situated within one mile of the site. It was closed by 31-DEC-1942. <1>

Aerial photography from 1961 shows that the station had been removed and the site was a coastal path and open area. <2>

<1> Dobinson, C S, 1996, Twentieth century fortifications in England, volume 7. Acoustics and Radar: England's early warning systems 1915-45, 168 (Monograph). SDO12579.

<2> Anderton, Michael J, 2000, Twentieth century military recording project: World War Two radar stations, 64 (Unpublished document). SDO18992.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1478069 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2024 4:36PM