Casemate 85

The LATER COAST BATTERIES of WALES

John Guy and Jeff Dorman.
(Photographs by the Author, unless attributed)

For many years now the two of us have been researching, visiting and recording all the Breech Loading (BL) and Quick Fire (QF) Coast Battery sites in the United Kingdom; now only a few remain unvisited. Last year this ongoing research took us to Wales to see what could be found. On this tour the Milford Haven area was omitted as this had already been visited and is well documented. One small detour was to the two battery sites at Portishead, and some beach defence battery sites were also visited.

The first stop was the Royal Hotel, Portishead, in whose grounds in 1915 a battery of 2 x 12-pdr QF guns was emplaced to protect the nearby docks. No tangible remains of the battery could be found but the area where the guns were is still well defined. There was also a battery of 2 x 4.7-in guns on the South Pier at Avonmouth but this site has been obliterated. [see also p8].

The next site was Portishead Point, the site of a 6-in battery built in 1901 and armed with 2 x 6-in QF Mk II guns on pedestal mountings and built on the site of a Volunteer Artillery Practice battery which was demolished in 1899. The battery was re-activated in 1940 when 2 x 6-in Mk VII BL guns were installed with overhead cover. Today two gun emplacement aprons and the roofs of a couple of buildings remain and it would appear that most of the site has been buried. One searchlight emplacement can be seen below the cliff edge and a plaque nearby states that this battery is the closest place on the coast of the United Kingdom to which large ships pass.

Crossing over the Severn Bridge into Wales the next location was the site of the emergency battery at Newport, 2 x 75mm QF guns installed in 1941. The battery site is within the grounds of a power station, permission to enter the site was granted. On the way to the battery a visit was made to a twin searchlight emplacement with the remains of the engine room behind.
Nearby the Battery Observation Post and one gun emplacement were found still extant, the ruins of the second gun emplacement were visible.

Next stop was Cardiff and the emergency battery located within the docks area, built in 1940, the guns being transferred to Brean Down in 1942. The battery mounted 2 x 6-in guns; one emplacement is extant and all that could be found of the second was the base and bolt ring. A little to the west of the 6-in site is the 2 x 75mm QF emergency battery built in 1941 to provide close defence when the 6-in guns were removed. There is much of this battery still to be seen; gun emplacements, BOP, searchlight emplacements and engine rooms etc, some modified for later commercial use.

Moving along the coast to Penarth Head, a battery of 2 x 6-in guns was built here in 1904 and disarmed in the 20s. The battery site would have been hard to find as it has been demolished and partially built on, but a visit to the National Archive provided very detailed plans of the battery allowing the site to be located, but nothing today remains.

Lavernock Battery was the next stop. Completed in 1870 the battery was armed with 3 x 7-in RMLs on Moncrieff mountings and modified in 1906 to take 2 x 6-in BL guns. The site is now a chalet estate but much remains; the 2 x 6-in emplacements are extant plus one of the Moncrieff pits, other battery buildings were seen. Two searchlight emplacements exist on the points to the east and west of the battery. Next to the battery site is a WWII HAA battery [seen on FSG Conference 2001].

Further west is Nells Point Battery at Barry built in 1900 to mount 2 x 4.7-in QF guns, replaced in 1908 with 2 x 6-in BLs. Again good plans of this battery were available at the National Archive but there is virtually nothing left to see of the battery as the whole area is now a large housing estate.

Along the coast is Port Talbot, the site of another emergency battery built in 1940 to mount 2 x 4-in BLs, later replaced by 2 x 138mm QF French guns. Sadly the battery had been bulldozed but there were concrete fragments still to be seen on the beach.

Swansea: research revealed this emergency battery of 2 x 75mm QF guns built in 1941, located on the Eastern Breakwater, but nothing remains and no visit was made to this site. Various aerial photographs were consulted.

Continuing along the coast to the Mumbles, this area can be split into two parts; first the fort built on the island in the 1860s and armed with 5 x 80-pdrs. In 1901 it was modified to mount 2 x 4.7-in QF guns, the armament the same during both World Wars. The fort remains with gun emplacements and two searchlight emplacements and there are several small ancillary buildings to the rear. The fort can be reached when the tide is out but there is no free access to the interior.
Second is the emergency 2 x 6-in battery built in 1940 on Mumbles Hill and now completely demolished.
Luckily, there are several interpretation boards with information about the battery and in the bushes behind there are substantial remains of an HAA battery of the same period.

The next site was a bit of a mystery; a book Swansea at War shows a photograph of a 6-in coast battery defending the Loughor Estuary at Berthlwyd and after a short search a gun emplacement was found. It was in good condition but was for a 4-in gun not a 6-in and the battery was a beach battery and could not be classed as a Coast Battery.

Moving across the river the next site was Llanelli Battery also known as Burry Port Battery; built in 1940 it mounted 2 x 4-in BLs. The exact location of the battery site was identified from examination of aerial photographs but on arrival all that could be found were bulldozed piles of rubble and the bases of a few huts. It is to be hoped that the battery was recorded before it was erased.

To the west of Llanelli is the Pembrey Country Park, once the site of ROF Pembrey. We had intended to stop here and walk westward along the coast to where the OS map marks a control tower for the now disused bombing range. Just near the tower is marked 'Gun emplacement (disused)', research revealing that this was for another 4-in, but due to the time it would have taken to visit this emplacement it was left for another day. Next stop was St Ishmael on the Afon Tywi where there is a 4-in beach battery gun emplacement surviving in good condition. Research indicates another emplacement at Laugharne but this was not investigated.

Milford Haven was then bypassed with the next stop being Fishguard Battery, built in 1940 and mounting 2 x 6-in BLs. The site is in fact several miles east of Fishguard on the cliffs at Penrhyn Ychen and it turned out to be a joy, with many buildings extant.

Fishguard Battery in wartime (left) (www.experiencepembrokeshire.com) and today (right) ((c) Google).
The triple line of the minefield is clearly visible and a small remnant is visible today (below, right hand edge), marked by gorse in the hollows.

It is now being used for holiday homes many of which are the battery buildings. After gaining permission to walk around the site the two gun houses were located, turned into dwellings; also seen were the BOP and Port War Signal Station, engine room and many other ancillary buildings. Moving in front of the gun emplacement and looking down the cliff another OP could be seen and below that a searchlight emplacement with a small engine room.
A good example of a WWII Coast Battery.

Heading north round Cardigan Bay onto the Lleyn Peninsula a stop was made at Pwllheli. During research an Admiralty chart found at the National Archive showed 2 x 4-in guns mounted at Pen-ychain covering the long sandy beach. On the cliff top two holdfasts were found, both different, maybe one 4-in BL and one 4-in QF, with a building behind them which could have been a gun store and magazine.
Further research revealed that the Butlins Holiday camp just up the road was taken over during WWII by the Royal Navy (HMS Glendower) and used as a training camp for both Royal Navy and Merchant Navy personnel. Among these were DEMS (Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships, WWII) gunners, as many merchant vessels were armed with a 4-in gun.

The next Coast Battery, at the southern end of the Menai Strait, was Caernarfon Battery, built in 1940 and mounting 2 x 4-in BLs. The site is about a mile south of Fort Belan and research amongst old aerial photographs showed it clearly. Today there is little to see; though the access road is clearly identified with its stone lined edges, and hut bases could be seen. A half buried piece of concrete had a badge set in it made of sea shells but the badge was not identified.

Holyhead Battery, built in 1940 and mounting 2 x 6-in BL guns came next. The battery was located across Holyhead Bay opposite the port near the village of Penrhyn. It is now a caravan site, the gun emplacements and BOP have been demolished but many of the buildings of the domestic site are extant and used by the camp. Inspection of the shore line revealed the remains of the searchlight emplacements.

After Holyhead came a visit to Great Ormes Head at Llandudno, where the Royal Artillery School of Coast Artillery set up in 1940. The school mounted 3 x 12-pdr QF, 1 x Twin 6-pdr, 3 x 4-in BL, 1 x 4.5-in, 3 x 6-in BL, 1 x 9.2-in BL, 6 searchlights, Radar, 3 x BOPs, 1 x Battery Plotting Room, 2 x Fire Command Posts and so the list goes on.
Three searchlight houses remain, and while the bulldozers have done their work it was possible to trace much of it. This must have been a very impressive site; it is to be hoped that such an important site was recorded before it was wiped out.

Just round the corner is Little Ormes Head; here was the Coast Artillery Practice battery built in 1942 for gunners who could not practice fire from their own battery sites due to their locations. The battery mounted 2 x 12-pdr QFs, 4 x 6-in BLs, 1 x Twin 6-pdr and 1 x 5.25-in QF plus 3 coast artillery searchlights. Most of the battery, once again, has been demolished so only a few remains could be found, including part of the magazine in the quarry behind the battery.

It is hoped that the authorities will record these sites before they disappear altogether as they are part of our history and heritage, not only for Wales but for the United Kingdom.

(Coast Defence Batteries are those built by the army and manned by the Royal Artillery or Royal Marines; they are directed out to sea to engage shipping targets. A Beach Battery is more of a local battery to cover our own beaches and strategic points; smaller guns and manned by the Home Guard and other local army regiments, more often directed along beaches and not out to sea, nor permanently manned.)