Monument record MWX1309 - Second World War gun Emplacement, Brownsea Island, Studland

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 is visible as a concrete circular holdfast for the gun with a ring of bolts. Ten metres northeast of the gun site is a brick rectangular building 6 metres long and 2.5 metres wide and 2.5 metres high with a concrete roof. This is probably a military building associated with the gun battery. Another building once lay between the gun site and the rectangular building but this has been demolished. A field visit in 1994 found the site to be in a fair condition.

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 circular holdfast for the gun with a ring of bolts. 10m NE of the gun site is a brick rectangular building approx. 6m long and 2.5m wide and 2.5m high with a concrete roof. Probably a military building associated with the gun battery. Another building once lay between the gun site and the rectangular building but this has been demolished. The site lies on a lawn SW of Brownsea Castle facing the sea. <2-4>

<1> Papworth, M, 1992, Brownsea Island, Dorset. Wessex region, 20 (Unpublished document). SWX1390.

One of two six-inch naval guns which were used from 1940 - 1945 to guard the entrance of Poole Harbour. These guns were manned by 110 men from 347 Coast Battery of the Royal Artillery (Legg 1986 p66). 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 setting for the gun are visible as a ring of bolt impressions in the concrete. Three other building are shown here on the 1963 O.S. 1:2500 map but they have since been demolished and only survive as building platforms. They are not shown on the 1933 O.S. map and were probably associated with the gun battery. The 1933 and 1901 O.S. maps show that a statue occupied this site until the second world war. Visited 25/2/1992.

<2> Council for British Archaeology, 1995, Defence of Britain Project, S0007713 (Digital archive). SWX5.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 2003, Defence of Britain Project Database, S0007713 (Machine readable data file). SDO128.

<4> Council for British Archaeology, 2006, Defence of Britain Project Archive DEB01, S0007713 (Excavation archive). SDO17227.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1422094 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jul 15 2024 11:09AM