Bouldnor Battery is a military

battery Battery or batterie most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Battery indicator, a device whic ...

located in Bouldnor on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...

. It saw active service in World War II and was fully decommissioned in 1956. Today, it is a

Scheduled Ancient Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...

History

The battery was built from 1937 to 1938 to protect an anchorage on the east side of Yarmouth. It was equipped with two 6-inch Mk VII guns, electric ammunition hoists and two searchlight emplacements nearby. A pillbox was also built to protect the access road, and the battery was manned by the Isle of Wight Rifles. The battery was stood down in December 1942, although it was reactivated with the addition of a Bofors anti-aircraft gun in 1944. The battery was once again stood down in 1945, with all its armaments removed by 1947, but it was re-used for gun practice from 1951 to 1955. British coastal defences were finally abandoned in 1956 and the battery was fully disarmed. Today, the remains of the battery are used as water storage tanks, and so it is not possible to see much of the structure compared with others on the Isle of Wight. The magazines and crew shelters are flooded and form an important habitat for rare newt species. The battery is situated within a forest that is now used for cadets as an assault course and weekend retreats.

References

Publications

External links

Victorian Forts data sheet
{{Palmerston Forts on the Isle of Wight Buildings and structures on the Isle of Wight Palmerston Forts Artillery battery fortifications in the United Kingdom Shalfleet