| Summary: | Vis= -/02/1994 (RCHME) site survey made. WWII emergency coastal defence battery built in 1942 commanding Dart and its approaches. It was armed with two ex-naval 6" guns. Mothballed in 1945. Guns still in place in 1951. Closed in 1956. Site comprises two gun emplacements and two searchlight batteries (see subsheets) with 11 other roofed structures forming the operational part of the complex. To the east lay the accommodation area (see subsheet) which has largely been demolished (either in 1945 or 1956). The buildings are in an excellent state of preservation in an area of cypress woodland (AA protection). Because of the steep coastal location the buildings lie on various levels connected by a network of concrete paths and steps. All the buildings are of either concrete blockwork and/or brick and all have reinforced concrete roofs. The two emplacements are almost identical, built for single 6" guns on MKVII mountings. The western emplacement consists of a circular reinforced concrete structure built on a rock-cut platform. The footing of the protecting parapet on the seaward side survives. Various internal features in the emplacement and associated magazines survive. The eastern (upper) gun is served by two magazines (in one building) and three further buildings. They are linked to the emplacement by a sunken concrete-lined path along which the shells were moved. The western gun was connected to its two separate magazines by an inclined rail. A building to the west of the rail provided stand down accommodation for the personnel. Each gun was served by a searchlight close to the waters edge (see subsheets). The observation post to the E of the upper emplacement is in a very good state of preservation having been used as a store up until recently. It contains a kitchen, a chart room and the observation area with long iron-shuttered windows. Internally timber rests and shelving survive in addition to the concrete pillar that presumably supported the range finding equipment. On the wall there is a faded notice which reads "Datum points -99 coast battery height of DRF 209ft". Adjacent to this building are three buildings, one of which was a generator room. Another was probably the mess and the third is unknown in function. A second generator room lies to the N of the upper battery magazines and in it the bases for 3 generators survive (RCHME). |
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