Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Eastney Batteries
Hob Uid: 461967
Location : City of Portsmouth Non Civil Parish
Grid Ref : SZ6674098710
Summary : The east and west forts at Eastney barracks were built between 1861-1863. They were intended to flank the barracks on the sea-front and comprise two openwork batteries with twelve gun positions each, never fully armed. The outer walls are constructed of brick with galleted panels of flint. Stone is used in structural openings such as the embrasures. A brick lined and vaulted magazine was built below ground in each fort and their position may well indicate the position of cavalier bastions. Both forts have been heavily altered, particularly the East Fort, which now contains several brick buildings from the 1930s and 1940s when the fort was used by HM Signal School for development of radar and, during the war, by the Admiralty Signals Establishment for naval radar.
More information : (SZ 665986) Eastney Fort West (dismantled) (NAT) (SZ 670988) Eastney Fort East (NAT) (1) Eastney Batteries (SZ665 986 and SZ 670 988) These, like Lumps Fort, appear to have been first built during the Napoleonic Wars, since the 1805 returns refer to 'Eastney Fort' and list three 32-pounder guns there. But also like Lumps, the 1859 Report refers to it as being in the process of construction, so that it looks like another case of a dilapidated work being used as the basis for new construction. The eventual form was two open batteries connected by a parapet concealing a sunken way, so as to command the entrance to Langstone Harbour and the waters of Spithead to the east of Horse Sand Fort. Each battery had ten embrasures and two barbette positions, but was never fully armed, the maximum number of guns provided being five 7in Armstrong and one 68-pounder to each battery. Their subsequent history is not recorded, but it seems probable that they were abandoned some time early in the century and are now within the grounds of the Royal Marine Barracks at Eastney. (2) Eastney Forts - as described. (3) Listed. (4-5) Eastney (West) Battery located at SZ 665 986 and Eastney (East) at SZ 670 988. The Batteries opened in the 1860s. By 1902 West Battery was armed with one 64-pounder rifle muzzle-loading (RML) gun and one 6-inch breech-loading (BL) Mk. IV gun, while East Battery had one 6-inch BL Mk. IV gun. The batteries were not armed during either of the World Wars. (6-7)

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Source Number : 1
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Source details : OS 1:10 000 1972
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : Coast Defences of Eng and Wales 1856-1956 1974 141 (I V Hogg)
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : F1 JGB 21-FEB-83
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Source Number : 4
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Source details : District of Portsmouth, 25/09/1972
Page(s) : 36
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Vol(s) : 774

Source Number : 5
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Source details : The two databases developed by the Project can be searched on-line through the Archaeology Data Service at http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/specColl/dob/index.cfm
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Source Number : 6
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Source details :
Page(s) : 167-176
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Vol(s) : 6.1

Source Number : 7
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Source details :
Page(s) : 258-259
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Vol(s) : 6.2

Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Built 1861-3
Monument End Date : 1863
Monument Start Date : 1861
Monument Type : Coastal Battery, Magazine, Barracks
Evidence : Structure

Monument Period Name : 20th Century
Display Date : Altered 1930s and 1940s
Monument End Date : 1949
Monument Start Date : 1930
Monument Type : Barracks, School, Radar Station
Evidence : Extant Building

Monument Period Name : Second World War
Display Date : Wartime usage
Monument End Date : 1945
Monument Start Date : 1939
Monument Type : Barracks, Coastal Battery
Evidence : Extant Building

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : HA 478
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Listed Building List Entry Legacy Uid
External Cross Reference Number : 448907
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : NBR Index Number
External Cross Reference Number : 91042
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : DoB Anti Invasion Database UID
External Cross Reference Number : S0015112
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SZ 69 NE 9
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : Is referred to by

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1983-02-21
End Date : 1983-02-21

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EVALUATION
Start Date : 1993-01-01
End Date : 1993-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY
Start Date : 1995-11-14
End Date : 1995-11-14

Associated Activities :
Activity type : MEASURED SURVEY
Start Date : 2008-01-01
End Date : 2009-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Eastney Batteries