Summary

The major development of the fort came with World War I when the defensive area was enlarged. The fort was re-adapted in World War II and included the construction of a hexagonal radar tower.

Full description

Promontory fort situated on the south west spur of Harwich harbour. First certain occupation dates to the Napoleonic period (see EHER 54), but this was replaced c1860 by the present standing battery. The major development came with World War I when the defensive area was enlarged beyond the immediate point to include the whole area of the previous barracks. 5 gun emplacements were constructed on a north-south line along the Harwich Harbour facing the promontory, the two outer emplacements to north and south contain 6' guns with a range of 16 miles. Behind the defences to the east underground workshops, a generator room and guardroom were built. The fort was re-adapted in World War II, but retained the same basic plan. A new emplacement was built to the south and fitted with twin 6 pounder guns, used for fast moving targets. Search lights were added to the 1860 battery on the front, and a pill box built on the extreme south west corner of the fort on Dovercourt Bay. <4> The fort contains six main gun emplacements, battery observation post, two pill boxes, shelters, accommodation for officers, guard hut, store, workshops, fire engine shed, magazines, electricians store and shop, engine room and electric light platforms. The fort commands the entrance to Harwich harbour and the River Stour. The works continue along the coast northwards, comprising a massive bank into which pill boxes and a two storey hexagonal tower have been constructed, all with commanding views of the Orwell estuary opposite Landguard fort. This area is the additional area scheduled in 1980. <10> A watching brief was carried out in 1986 when Anglian Water Authority bored 3 holes on the western slope of Beacon Hill just outside the WWII fort on a playing field area. Two holes were observed but there were no finds nor any indication of disturbed ground. <12> In 1993 the Harwich Society produced a report on the Radar Tower proposing restoration of this important building and including details of the equipment used. <13>
A comprehensive photographic record was undertaken by RCHM€ between April and June; this comprises some 91 photographs, a full set is deposited in the EHER <14>.
In addition to the six main gun emplacements the site retains pill boxes, officers' accommodation, guard hut, magazine and engine room dating to WWI. In the Second World War the gun emplacements were strengthened with casemates, and a two slab-sided towers, one for radar and one as an observation post. The fort was closed by the military in 1956. Many of the twentieth century buildings survive and retain important military information on the architecture of gun installations, ammunition storage, communications, observation and radar posts. Buried foundations/footings of the nineteenth century barrack blocks may remain beneath the modern playing fields, and there are extensive underground tunnels and workshops <15>. AP <18>

Site Management: = The core area of the fort was scheduled as SAM 182 in 1974 when Tendring District Council had purchased the coastal strip to make a cliff top walk and intended demolishing some of the structure. <2> <4> A narrow coastal belt to the north was added to the scheduled area in 1980. <3> Scheduled monument consent refused in 1986 for removal of iron fencing around seaward side of the monument. <11> Scheduled monument consent (conditional) granted in 1987 for construction of timber steps and balustrading from the new car park area to the existing esplanade.

Site Assessment = The fort is in good condition; the magazines still have their racks and steel doors. 'It is a striking example of coastal defence'. <10>

July 2010: In June 2010, the naval Watch Tower at Tollesbury (EHER 10726) was visited for the first time by the World War Two Defences in Essex project. In order to establish the typology of the Tollesbury tower and to identify post-war alterations the Beacon Hill tower was similarly visited in July 2010 as a comparison. The Beacon Hill tower is managed by the Harwich Society, with information panels compiled by the Society, and is open to the public on the first Sunday of each month in the summer.
The two towers are apparently of the same pattern with the basic dimensions,some were measured, the same. They are both hexagonal, built of brick and have three floors. Both overlook an estuary. However, it is clear that both have been altered in differing ways. Neither tower was built with "squint" bricks (shaped, obtuse angled bricks) at the corners. Both used normal bricks with projecting corners. The Beacon Hill example, however has had these "overlaps" chopped-off to present regular obtuse angles. The Beacon Hill tower has two ground-level doors (one as a normal entrance, one to the original lift). It is not sure what door arrangement remains at Tollesbury. The original stairways remain at Beacon Hill. At Tollesbury, the original lift well has been converted (post-war) to a wide stairway. At Tollesbury there is a diesel engine mounting bed on the ground floor. At Beacon Hill there is no bed but this may well have been taken up relatively recently. Similarly, at Beacon Hill there are other minor changes to walls or openings on the ground floor which may have been done in recent years to aid access or presentation. The first floors appear much the same but the turning handle for the aerial at Beacon Hill still, importantly, remains in situ. At Tollesbury, there are walls around this area, not so at Beacon Hill. The second, top, floor has been boarded in with windows added, at Tollesbury. This floor, at Beacon Hill, appears original, totally closed in. Here, the original huge aerial still stands although it is apparent that only the steel framework is original, the galvanised concave sheeting has clearly been added recently. Unexpectedly, the dimensions of the mounting bolt ring appears different. At Tollesbury there are two small windows at the top of the tower, presumably to allow light into the second floor. At Beacon Hill there are no such windows.
It is clear that both towers have been altered in a number of ways, either during or after World War Two. Only a detailed analysis of each could determine the original forms, the purpose or dating of these changes.
At Tilbury stands a third tower (EHER 10296), similar to the other two, hexagonal, three-storey, on an estuary, but not the same pattern. Each is variously stated as anti-shipping, Radar Direction Finding or radar site, probably built in 1940 / 41, manned by Royal Navy personnel, with a Type 284 or 287 RDF set.
Twenty-three photographs were taken of the Beacon Hill tower in July 2010. <25> Twenty-two photographs were taken of the Tollesbury tower in June 2010. <26>
Three photographs were taken of the Tilbury tower in June 1994. <27>

<1> unknown, 1960 0nwards, SMR form unknown (DESC TEXT). SEX4.

<2> Newton, GM, 1974, Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich (CORRESPONDENCE). SEX493.

<3> Brown, JK, 1980, Beacon Hill Fort (additional area) (CORRESPONDENCE). SEX494.

<4> unknown, unknown, Beacon Hill Fort (DESC TEXT). SEX495.

<5> unknown, unknown, Beacon Hill Fort (MENTION). SEX496.

<6> Army Surgeon, unknown, Beacon Hill Barracks (looking N), line drawing (Graphic material). SEX497.

<7> unknown, 1974, Site of old fort at Harwich saved, 21st October (DESC TEXT). SEX498.

<8> unknown, unknown, TM23-013, 54 frames (Photograph). SEX499.

<9> unknown, unknown, TM23-013 (AP). SEX500.

<10> HBMC, 1986, DOE Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Parts 5-8 (Scheduling record). SEX167.

<11> Payne, PE, 1986, SMR (CORRESPONDENCE). SEX508.

<12> Bedwin, Owen, 1986, Harwich - Beacon Hill, watching brief (DESC TEXT). SEX509.

<13> The Harwich Society, 1993, RADAR Tower at Beacon Hill Fort (DESC TEXT). SEX510.

<14> Pattison, P, 1997, Job. No.97-968, Beacon hill Fort (Photograph). SEX58521.

<15> Rogers, P, 1985, 9-8 (AP). SEX58524.

<15> Medlycott, Maria, 1999, Harwich: Historic Town Assessment Report (DESC TEXT). SEX53937.

<16> Tyler, Sue, 1999, MPP Film 5 (Photograph). SEX59301.

<17> Brown, Moraig and Pattison, Paul, 1997, Archaeological Field Survey Report - Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich, Essex (DESC TEXT). SEX54380.

<18> Tyler, Sue, 2000, CP/00/12/13- 15 (AP). SEX60324.

<19> Eric Cressey & Partners (Civil Engineers), 1993, Structural report Radar Tower, Beacon Hill, Harwich (DESC TEXT). SEX67683.

<20> Evening Gazette, 1990, Fortified site could become tourist draw (Article in serial). SEX67684.

<22> ECC?, unknown, Beacon Hill Battery (DESC TEXT). SEX67686.

<23> Tendring District Council, 1989, Beacon Hill Ancient Monument Draft action and management plan (DESC TEXT). SEX67687.

<24> District Estate Office PSA/DOE Newmarket Suffolk, 1972, Harwich Beacon Hill Scale Drawing no. Essex 536 (Cartographic materials). SEX67688.

<25> Nash, Fred, 2010, Harwich Radar tower, July 2010 (Photograph). SEX70035.

<26> Nash, Fred, 2010, Tollesbury Watch Tower, June 2010 (Photograph). SEX70034.

<27> Nash, Fred, 1996, WWII defences, three frames June 1994 (Photograph). SEX31461.

<28> Saunders, Helen, 2021, EX21/08/033-034 (AP (Digital)). SEX74975.

Monument Types

• BATTERY (1889, Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1889 AD to 2050 AD)
• BUILDING (WWI to WWII, First World War to Second World War - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)
• FORT (WWI to WWII, First World War to Second World War - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)
• MAGAZINE (WWI to WWII, First World War to Second World War - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)
• TOWER (WWI to WWII, First World War to Second World War - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)
• WORKSHOP (WWI to WWII, First World War to Second World War - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)
• PILLBOX (WWII, Second World War - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• RADAR STATION (WWII, Second World War - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Events

• SALV RECORD by Bedwin, O, 1986 (Ref: ?)
• Field visit to Beacon Hill (EX182) by Stuart, I W, IAM on FEB-1974 (Ref: IAM)
• Field visit to Beacon Hill (EX182) by Sherlock, D, IAM on OCT-1978 (Ref: IAM)
• Field visit to Beacon Hill (EX182) by Paterson, H, FMW on OCT-1981 (Ref: FMW Oct 1981)
• Field visit to Beacon Hill (EX182) by Corbishley, M J, FMW on OCT-1984 (Ref: FMW Oct 1984)
• Photographic survey RCHM(E) (Ref: ?)
• Beacon Hill Fort (Ref: ?)
• Beacon Hill Fort (Ref: TM23SE32)
• Field visit to Beacon Hill (EX182) by Paterson, H, FMW on MAY-1987 (Ref: FMW)
• Field visit to Beacon Hill (EX182) by Paterson, H, FMW on MAY-1990 (Ref: FMW)
• Field visit to Beacon Hill (EX182) by Paterson, H, FMW on NOV-1992 (Ref: FMW)
• Harwich Radar Tower visit by Fred Nash July 2010 (Ref: Nash TEN Jul 2010)

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument () 1018958: Beacon Hill Fort: a late 19th and 20th century coastal artillery fortification
• Conservation Area: Dovercourt

Sources and further reading

Related records

Images

Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich, Tendring © Essex County Council	Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich, Tendring © Essex County Council
Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich, Tendring © Essex County Council	Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich, Tendring © Essex County Council
Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich, Tendring © Essex County Council	Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich, Tendring © Essex County Council
Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich, Tendring © Essex County Council	Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich, Tendring © Essex County Council
Harwich Redoubt, Harwich, Tendring © Essex County Council

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