Monument record MWX1306 - Coast Artillery Searchlight, Portland Hill, Brownsea Island, Studland

A World War Two searchlight emplacement on Brownsea Island. A brick building with concrete roof, the remains of a searchlight emplacement situated to the south west of two six-inch naval guns, placed to guard the entrance to Poole Harbour. The emplacement was constructed in 1940-41 and comprising a building measuring 5 metres x 4 metres x 2.5 metres, built of brick with a concrete roof supported by iron girders. The seaward, southeast side, is open except for a low brick wall; the southwest and northwest sides are of solid brick, the entrance is via a doorway in the northeast side. A field visit in 1992 found the building to be in a very good condition but other buildings in the area had all been demolished.

Site of searchlight emplacement. The building is of brick with a concrete roof supported by iron girders. The seaward SE side is open except for a low brick wall. The SW and NW sides are solid brick. Entrance via doorway in NE side. Dimensions are 5m x 4m x 2.5m. The building is in very good condition but other buildings in the area have all been demolished. <1-3>

Searchlight building on Brownsea Island, used to house a searchlight and lay to the south-west of two six-inch naval guns, placed to guard the entrance to Poole Harbour. <4>

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 1995, Defence of Britain Project, S0007722 (Digital archive). SWX5.

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

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 2006, Defence of Britain Project Archive DEB01, S0007722 (Excavation archive). SDO17227.

<4> Papworth, M, 1992, Brownsea Island, Dorset. Wessex region, 112,754 (Unpublished document). SWX1390.

A building which once housed a searchlight was in use from 1940 -1945 and lay on the SW side of two six inch naval guns placed to guard the entrance to Poole Harbour. This searchlight was in use with another on the NE side of the guns to give covering illumination and prevent approaching enemy shipping passing the guns under cover of darkness. The building is of brick with a concrete roof supported on iron girders. The seaward SE side is open except for a low brick wall. The SW and NW sides are solid brick. The building is entered via a doorway near the centre of the NE side. The approximate dimensions are 5m NW - SE and 4m NE – SW and 2.5m high. The 1963 6 inch – 1 mile O.S. map records another rectangular building immediately NW of this site which has since been demolished. Other building, to the SW, shown on the 1963 map but not on the 1933 O.S. map are probably second world war constructions which have since been demolished. These were at SZ02778743 and SZ02798746. Visited 25/2/1992.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1422103 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jul 15 2024 11:09AM