Bouldnor Battery

Bouldnor Battery is a military battery located in Bouldnor on the Isle of Wight. It saw active service in World War II and was fully decommissioned in 1956. Today, it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.[1]

Bouldnor Battery
Bouldnor, Isle of Wight, England
Bouldnor Battery
Bouldnor Battery is located in Isle of Wight
Bouldnor Battery
Bouldnor Battery
Coordinates50°42′35″N 1°27′51″W
Site information
Open to
the public		No
ConditionDecommissioned
Site history
Built1937–1938
In use1939–1956
EventsWorld War II

History

The battery was built from 1937 to 1938 to protect an anchorage on the east side of Yarmouth. It was equipped with two 6-inch Mk VII guns, electric ammunition hoists and two searchlight emplacements nearby. A pillbox was also built to protect the access road,[2] and the battery was manned by the Isle of Wight Rifles.[3] The battery was stood down in December 1942, although it was reactivated with the addition of a Bofors anti-aircraft gun in 1944. The battery was once again stood down in 1945, with all its armaments removed by 1947, but it was re-used for gun practice from 1951 to 1955. British coastal defences were finally abandoned in 1956 and the battery was fully disarmed.

Today, the remains of the battery are used as water storage tanks, and so it is not possible to see much of the structure compared with others on the Isle of Wight. The magazines and crew shelters are flooded and form an important habitat for rare newt species. The battery is situated within a forest that is now used for cadets as an assault course and weekend retreats.

References
  1. Historic England. "Bouldnor Battery (1010011)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  2. "Isle of Wight Historic Environment Record". Isle of Wight County Archaeology and Historic Environment Service. 27 September 2000. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  3. "The Needles Battery - Isle of Wight Rifles". The Needles Battery/National Trust archives. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.

Publications
  • Cantwell, Anthony (1986). The Needles Defences. Isle of Wight: Solent Papers. ISBN 1870113012.
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