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Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery Bristol B3

Hob Uid: 1395032
Location :
City of Bristol
Non Civil Parish
Grid Ref : ST5245180805
Summary : A Second World War Heavy Anti-aircraft battery located south of Hallen Marsh Junction. The battery comprises four octagonal gunpits arranged around a command post with the magazine sited on the north-east side. Ancillary buildings of a small barracks including stores and sick bay was located immediately southeast of the battery. The site was operational from February 1940 and formed part of the Bristol Gun-Defended Area (GDA). The site was also equipped with a GL Mark II radar by June 1942 to allow for the detection of approaching aircraft at a distance of around 30 miles away. In 1946 it was tetained as an Off-Site Nucleus Force Battery. Most of the ancillary buildings appear to have been demolished by 1951 but the gun emplacements, the command post and the magazine remain extant. The site is now overgrown and there is some damage to the emplacements and the magazine. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
More information : ST 52428083. A Heavy Anti-aircraft battery, comprising a command post, four octagonal gunpits and a magazine. The command post survives as a rectangular concrete structure at the centre of the semicircle formed by the gunpits which face west, south west, north west and north. Each gun emplacement is protected by an earth bank. Other pits to the rear may represent the position of Light Anti-aircraft guns. The magazine has been partially demolished. The site was operational from February 1940 until the end of the war. Scheduled. (1)

Report on the site prior to its inclusion as a scheduled monument. There are five photos of the site with the archive report. (2)

The Anti-aircaft battery is as described above (1) and is visible on aerial photographs. The battery is centred at ST 5242 8082 where four octagonal gun pits surround by an L-shaped command post which is unusual in comprising four other separate structures. Two of these structures are connected to the main building by narrow trenches and all were surrounded by earthen banks. The magazine (ST 5246 8083) was located to the northeast of the command post and was built up on all sides by earthen banks. Ancillary buildings of a small barracks including stores and sick bay was located immediately southeast of the battery at ST 5251 8077.

The site was also equipped with a GL Mark II radar by June 1942 to allow for the detection of approaching aircraft at a distance of around 30 miles away. The likely location of this is southwest of the site at ST 5235 8070. The site was operational from February 1940 and formed part of the Bristol Gun-Defended Area (GDA). Another possible circular gun pit is visible at ST 5249 8090 which may have been for a light anti-aircraft gun.

Most of the ancillary buildings were demolished by 1951 but the gun emplacements, the command post and the magazine remain extant. The site is now overgrown and there is some damage to the emplacements and the magazine. (3-6)

Documented. (7)

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Source Number : 1
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Source details : 24-Feb-04
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : Heath J, MPPA, Dec-2002
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : RAF/106G/LA/45 5126-5127 31-OCT-1944
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Source Number : 4
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Source details : RAF/540/584 5001-5002 17-SEP-1951
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Source Number : 5
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Source details : NMR OS/93502 042-043 16-AUG-1993
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Source Number : 6
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Source details : Bristol City HER (Nos. 5972 & 21552)
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Source Number : 7
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Page(s) : 329
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Monument Types:
Monument Period Name : Mid 20th Century
Display Date : 1946
Monument End Date : 1946
Monument Start Date : 1946
Monument Type : Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery
Evidence : Earthwork
Monument Period Name : Second World War
Display Date : 1940-1945
Monument End Date : 1945
Monument Start Date : 1940
Monument Type : Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery, Gun Emplacement, Command Post, Magazine
Evidence : Structure, Ruined Building

Components and Objects:
Related Records from other datasets:
External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 28885
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : UAD Number (Bristol)
External Cross Reference Number : 5972
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : UAD Number (Bristol)
External Cross Reference Number : 21552
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : ST 58 SW 15
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :
Related Activities :
Associated Activities :
Activity type : AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH INTERPRETATION
Start Date : 2006-04-10
End Date : 2008-11-01