More information : Site of Capel Battery. Various roads, tracks and hut bases still extant. Battle of Britain Memorial occupies part of site.
Capel Battery. 3 x 8in guns.
Site of Capel Battery. Various military roads, tracks, hut bases, etc. still extant. Battle of Britain memorial occupies part of site. Destroyed No.1 Gun coastal battery. Three gun emplacements remain (buried) and may be in reasonable condition. Remaining buildings have now gone bar one small ancillary structure 400-500m SW of battery at cliff edge. [Information from 1979 aerial photographs].
On the seaward side of the B2011 road near Capel-le-Ferne. (1)
Capel Battery located at TR 2442 3801. The battery was commissioned in June 1942 and was armed with three 8-inch guns. The three gun emplacements were located at TR 2442 3801, TR 2453 3805 and TR 2463 3809. The position finder was at TR 2416 3774, the plotting room at TR 2431 3798 and radar (B4) positioned at TR 2490 3821. (2-3)
Aerial photography from 1979 shows that the three gun emplacements are buried and may be reasonable condition. The buildings have gone, except one small ancillary structure located 500 metres south-west of the battery at the cliff edge. (4)
The Battle of Britain Memorial website shows photographs of Capel Battery under construction in 1941. (5)
According to this website, several underground structures remain at Capel Battery including a dressing station/shelter, Battery Plotting Room and magazines. (6)
This article about the Capel Battery includes images of the look-out post and tunnels which still exist at the site. It was to be sold at auction on 21 September 2009. (7)
A Second World War artillery battery at Capel was built between 1941 and 1942 and manned by 520 Coast Regiment Royal Artillery. The battery mounted three eight-inch coastal guns. Aerial photographs show all but one of the buildings on the site have been demolished on aerial photographs taken in 1966. Cropmarks and earthworks are visible on aerial photographs taken in 2007, several underground structures survive, and the eastern side of the site has been remodelled into the Battle of Britain memorial. The site as a whole is centred on TR 2437 3801 and extends over an area which measures 635 metres SW-NE and 150 metres SE-NW. This site has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey NMP (Component 2).
Aerial photographs taken in 1942 and 1945 show an extensive site, with probable barracks indicated by Nissen huts, roads, hard standings and circa 19 military buildings. The domestic side of the site is sheltered by a large berm extending along the seaward side, and the whole site is surrounded by barbed wire obstructions. A group of associated observation posts are visible on the southwestern side of the battery, at TR 2418 3777, TR 2415 3774, TR 2413 3770 and TR 2431 3771. Two of these are surrounded by blast walls. The OP at TR 2413 3770 is still extant on aerial photographs taken in 2007 (8-10, 13).
In 2011 the crew shelter, gun store and compressor house to No1 gun have been exposed and are intact. Various bases of buildings uncovered and foundations exist most drains exist and in good order. Bases of Nissan huts exist they are approx 4-5 ft under soil but concrete base in good condition Plotting room exists and in good condition. Dressing station staircase exists in poor condition and cliff entrance exists also in poor condition Main structure has collapsed.
The National Archive at Kew has the original site plans, the fort record book for the 520th Coast Regiment Royal Artillery and the tunnelling diary for 119 tunnelling company. (11-12)
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