HeritageGateway - Home
Site Map
Text size: A A A
You are here: Home > > > > Historic England research records Result
Historic England research recordsPrintable version | About Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Cold War Haa Battery

Hob Uid: 1323912
Location :
Cheshire West and Chester
Norley
Grid Ref : SJ5712071820
Summary : Site of a Cold War Heavy Anti-aircraft Battery built on a greenfield site about 1950, the plan form of the site survives intact along with the remains of four gun emplacements and two reinforced concrete support buildings. One of the support buildings contained the emrgency generator and weapons maintenance store whilst the other formed the command post. Scheduled.
More information : SJ 572 719. The Anti-Aircraft Battery at Norley is confirmed to be post-War in date by documentary evidence (1a), which describes it as a `4 x 5.25 new site'. It was probably built about 1950, at a time when Britain's air defences were being modernised to counter the perceived threat by the Soviet Union, heightened by the outbreak of the Korean War. It was one of a number of batteries built in the Merseyside region for 5.25-inch anti-aircraft guns, some reusing wartime sites and others on greenfields. They were controlled from a newly built Anti-Aicraft Operations Room at Frodsham (SJ 57 NW 37), the system was stood down in 1955.

The site sits along the top of the northern escarpment of a small un-named stream flowing northwest to southeast. Thge site is L-shaped in plan and is largely covered by coniferous woodland. Within the area of the gunsite the track continues and is edged with kerb stones, along its eastern side four short spurs gave access to the gun pits. A low mound now covers the positions of their positions, no surface evidence was seen for the gun pits, it is therefore not possible to say whether or not pits were constructed or whether they have been infilled and covered over.

Behind the gun pits are six concrete floor slabs about 6ft x 8ft (1.83m x 2.44m), originally they had ends faced in brick (one brick thick and were covered by curved corrugated iron sheets. In form they appear to be identical to the surviving ready use ammunition sheds at Kinnerton, Clywd.

To the rear of the gun pits the main track turns north-westward, the first building encountered is the reinforced concrete rectangular generator building and gun shed (its door and window shields are modern replacements), to its rear is a large concrete hardstanding. At the end of the main track is the command bunker, it is square in plan and is entered through doors at either end, on the rear wall is a single window opening. Attached to its front wall are two small cubicles, accessed through single doors from the exterior. The interior of the command bunker is derelict, a wooden partition wall remains and in floor are conduits for cabling.

Manhole covers across the site indicate that it was provided with its own water supply. (1)


Sources :
Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : Wayne D Cocroft/25-AUG-2000/English Heritage Cold War Project
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 2
Source :
Source details : PRO Kew WO106/5912 Anti-Aircraft Command Mobilisation Scheme October 1951 edition
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 3
Source :
Source details : Scheduled 06-OCT-2003
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Monument Types:
Monument Period Name : 20th Century
Display Date : Cold War
Monument End Date : 1955
Monument Start Date : 1950
Monument Type : Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery, Command Post, Armament Depot
Evidence : Structure, Extant Building

Components and Objects:
Related Records from other datasets:
External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 33888
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SJ 57 SE 18
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :
Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :