Monument record MDO47770 - World War Two Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage

Swanage coastal battery, an emergency battery built during the Second World War as part of Southern Command's coastal defences. The battery was commissioned in July 1940 and mounted two 4-inch naval guns. It was armed until at least May 1945 and manned by 386 Coast Battery of the Royal Artillery. Aerial photography from 1982 shows the two gun emplacements with a structure beneath surviving in good condition. A report of 2000 recorded the structure as extant.

Coastal battery [see also UORNs 10538-10539; 13760; 13765]. Two gun emplacements and one structure below the emplacements survive in good condition. Cottages in the area may have served as accommodation in WW2. [information from 1982 aerial photographs].Peveril Point, Swanage. <1-3>

Swanage coastal battery located at SZ 040 874. This was an emergency battery built during the Second World War as part of Southern Command's coastal defences. The battery was commissioned in July 1940 and mounted two 4-inch naval guns. It was armed until at least May 1945 and manned by 386 Coast Battery of the Royal Artillery. However, between 1943-1944 the battery was manned by the Home Guard, until the guns were reduced to care and maintenance.
The battery observation post was located at SZ 0395 7860. <4-5>

Aerial photography from 1982 shows the two gun emplacements surviving in good condition. A structure below the emplacements also remains in good condition. Cottages in the area may have served as accommodation during the Second World War. <6>

A Second World War Emergency Battery defending Swanage. <7>

Customer comment received October 2017: 'The steel linkage is nothing to do with the WW2 coast battery, it is the pivot for a 5-inch BL gun. These guns were used for practice batteries and there was a practice battery here before the WW2 battery.'

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 1995, Defence of Britain Project, S0015103 (Digital archive). SWX5.

<2> Council for British Archaeology, 2003, Defence of Britain Project Database, S0015103 (Machine readable data file). SDO128.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 2006, Defence of Britain Project Archive DEB01, S0015103 (Excavation archive). SDO17227.

<4> Dobinson, C S, 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England. Volume 6.1. Coast Artillery, 1900-1956, 61 (Monograph). SDO17228.

<5> Dobinson, C S, 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England. Volume 6.2. Coast artillery, 1900-1956, 316, 317, 330 (Monograph). SDO17229.

<6> Anderton, M J, 2000, Twentieth century military recording project: World War Two Coastal Batteries, 70-71 (Unpublished document). SDO17230.

<7> Gazetteer of Defence Sites from the Henry Wills Collection (Index). SWX2521.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1429188 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 4:53PM