Monument record MWX1302 - Emergency coast battery, West Bay, Symondsbury

The site of West Bay coastal battery, an emergency battery built during the Second World War as part of Southern Command's coastal defences. The battery was operational by October 1941 and mounted two 5.5-inch naval guns. The guns had been reduced to care and maintenance status by 1943. Aerial photography from 1948 shows that the majority of the battery had been dismantled and the site given over to agricultural use. The battery observation post still remains and has been converted into a house, and a concrete store or shelter is also extant. A field visit in 1998 found the structures to be in a good condition.

Emergency coast battery. The remaining structures include the BOP, now converted into a house, with a false roof (wartime camouflage?). There also survives a concrete store or shelter. A 'winged' house may stand on the site of 5.5in gun house. <1>

West Bay (Bridport) coastal battery located at SY453 907. This was an emergency battery built during the Second World War as part of Southern Command's coastal defences. The battery was operational by October 1941 and mounted two 5.5-inch naval guns. The guns had been reduced to care and maintenance status by 1943. <4>

Aerial photography from 1948 shows that the battery had been dismantled and the site given over to agricultural use. <5>

The site of West Bay emergency coastal battery, built during the Second World War as part of Southern Command's coastal defences. Two gun emplacements and an ancillary building are visible as extant structures on aerial photographs taken in 1948 <6>. These features are no longer visible on the most recent Google Earth imagery. The site was digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Asssessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 1995, Defence of Britain Project, S0009070 (Digital archive). SWX5.

<2> Council for British Archaeology, 2003, Defence of Britain Project Database (Machine readable data file). SDO128.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 2006, Defence of Britain Project Archive DEB01, S0009070 (Excavation archive). SDO17227.

<4> Dobinson, C S, 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England. Volume 6.2. Coast artillery, 1900-1956, 316, 317 (Monograph). SDO17229.

<5> Anderton, M J, 2000, Twentieth century military recording project: World War Two Coastal Batteries, 68 (Unpublished document). SDO17230.

<6> Royal Air Force, 07-MAY-1948, RAF 541/7 3110-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12986.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1423385 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2024 4:36PM