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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Surviving WW1 Coastal batteries in the UK


Sgt Stripes

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Hi. I am planning a road trip holiday and I am hoping to visit the remains of surviving WW1 coastal batteries. Can anyone point me in the direction of the best surviving sites that are open to the public. Many Thanks    

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Heugh Battery in Hartlepool is worth a visit if it’s on your route. Give them a ring to check opening times.

 

http://www.heughbattery.co.uk/

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Thanks for the heads up Doug. I went to Hartlepool a number of years ago when I visited HMS TRINCOMALEE but did not visit the location of the Heugh battery. I should have and it might well make it on my list. 

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Looks a super place museumtom.well worth a visit probably next year . Did not even know about the BRENNAN torpedo. 

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North of Hartlepool you could visit Tynemouth Priory / Artillery Fort ( English Heritage). Seaton Sluice and Blyth Battery.

www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tynemouth-priory-and-castle

http://www.seaton-sluice.btck.co.uk/RobertsBattery

www.blythbattery.org.uk

This is an excellent archaeological report on the subject...

www.newcastle.gov.uk/sites/default/files/wwwfileroot/legacy/regen/locallist/tyne_and_wear_defence_sites.pdf

 

INW

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The Torry Battery predates WW1, but was used in both WW1 and WW2:

https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/aberdeen/torrybattery/index.html

 

There are considerable remains of the Forth defences on islands, but I'm not sure you can get to them, except for the remains on Inchcolm:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inchcolm#Military_defences

 

RM

Edit:

I'm not sure how much of the WW1 material remains at Broughty Castle:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broughty_Castle

 

There might be something at Cromarty:

https://canmore.org.uk/site/75579/north-sutor-coast-battery

Edited by rolt968
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Thanks for the replies. Lots of planning to do definitely on the hit list Torry battery, Broughty castle, Tynemouth priory, Heugh battery and down to Nothe fort with a good possibility of a few of the others.     

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Pembrokeshire is well worth a visit, several coastal batteries can be found along the Milford Haven waterway, Chapel Bay Fort and Museum is well worth a visit and opens its doors again this coming Easter. Thorne Island and Stack Rock are also accessible by boat although both will require forward planning. There is so much more so let me know and i'll dig out some more details.

 

J

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Many Thanks Jay. We are off to Tenby this summer so will visit Chapel Bay Fort. Looks Great  

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2 hours ago, Sgt Stripes said:

Many Thanks Jay. We are off to Tenby this summer so will visit Chapel Bay Fort. Looks Great  

 

Also the practice trench system just up the coast at Penally near the rifle range. The range also used in WW1 and still used today(so check the firing times!) by AR and cadets. 

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3 hours ago, Scalyback said:

 

Also the practice trench system just up the coast at Penally near the rifle range. The range also used in WW1 and still used today(so check the firing times!) by AR and cadets. 

 

Indeed and always an excuse to post these images. There's also the Castlemartin Range with it's spectator area...live exercise twice weekly

 

2140530887_penallytrenches.jpg.b9f21a76f3fd00381962c6b4beb06f20.jpg

 

2112393865_penallypracticetrenches.jpg.e80632893bd62e070b198d6756ed9fa1.jpg

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5 minutes ago, jay dubaya said:

 

Indeed and always an excuse to post these images. There's also the Castlemartin Range with it's spectator area...live exercise twice weekly

 

2140530887_penallytrenches.jpg.b9f21a76f3fd00381962c6b4beb06f20.jpg

 

2112393865_penallypracticetrenches.jpg.e80632893bd62e070b198d6756ed9fa1.jpg

 

It's a lovely place. Is the dodgy nightclub still next to the camp? Chequers? 

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Ahhh gone are the dark days of Chequers,  last I remember it was a community arts place. I’m 

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18 hours ago, jay dubaya said:

Ahhh gone are the dark days of Chequers,  last I remember it was a community arts place. I’m 

 

Was there in 95, gained access but under age. Went OTT on the booze, next day produced some terrible scores on range. Head hit, bum kicked! Just carrying on the soldiers tradition.

 

Further to Tenby, you also have Milford Haven that covers all invasion scares and both world wars. 

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Well worth a visit to Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton, Wirral.

The first British shot of the Great War was fired from here, also great views down the river to the Liverpool waterfront.

I don't think it is open to the public nowadays.

http://www.historyofwallasey.co.uk/wallasey/the_fort_that_never_really_went_to_war/index.html

 

BillyH.

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Thank you all. Quite a few to look at . My road trip keeps changing every hour.  

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