A World War Two gun emplacement on Brownsea Island. The emplacement was for one of two six-inch naval guns which were used to guard the entrance to Poole Harbour, and were manned by 110 men from 347 Coast Battery of the Royal Artillery. The site was constructed in 1940-41 and survives as a concrete apron 5 metres long and 2.5 metres wide, aligned northeast-southwest with a concrete wall on the southeast side 0.7metres high and 0.3 metres wide. Remains of the circular holdfast for the gun are visible as a ring of bolt impressions in the concrete. A field visit in 1994 found the structure to be in a fair condition.
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One of two six-inch naval guns which were used to guard the entrance to Poole Harbour. These guns were manned by 110 men from 347 Coast Battery of the Royal Artillery. The site is visible as a concrete apron 5m long and 2.5m wide aligned NE-SW with a concrete wall on the SE side 0.7m high and 0.3m wide. Remains of the circular holdfast for the gun are visible as a ring of bolt impressions in the concrete. Three other buildings are shown on the 1963 OS, 1:2500, map but they have since been demolished and only survive as building platforms. They are not shown on the 1933 OS map and were probably associated with the gun battery. The 1933 and 1901 OS maps show that a statue occupied this land until WWII. <2-4>
Sources/Archives (5)
<1> SWX1390
Unpublished document: Papworth, M. 1992. Brownsea Island, Dorset. Wessex region. 21.
<2> SWX5
Digital archive: Council for British Archaeology. 1995. Defence of Britain Project. S0007712.
<3> SDO128
Machine readable data file: Council for British Archaeology. 2003. Defence of Britain Project Database. S0007712.
<4> SDO17227
Excavation archive: Council for British Archaeology. 2006. Defence of Britain Project Archive DEB01. S0007712.
<5> SDO14739
Digital archive: National Record of the Historic Environment. 1429136.
Legacy UID: Dorset Sites and Monuments Record: 6 019 106
Legacy UID: National Monuments Record: SZ 08 NW 137
Legacy UID: National Record of the Historic Environment: 1429136
Record last edited
Aug 10 2023 3:56PM
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