More information : (TA 31 SE/TA 41 SW/TA 41 SE) Spurn Point battery and associated military defences.
The defences around Spurn Point were started in early 1915 by C.J. Wills, the contractor responsible for most of the World War I defences on the Humber. A standard gauge railway was lain to give access to the site, this which over came the obvious transport problems. There were three batteries installed during this first period of building - Green Battery, Light Permanent Battery, and Light Temporary Battery, all were intended as anti-bombardment batteries.
Green Battery comprised two 9.2" BL Mk10 guns on Mk5 mountings, it was a carbon copy of the nearby Godwin Battery. Named after General Sir William Green, its guns were mounted in circular concrete pits, with two battery observation posts (BOP) on the extreme left and right of the emplacements.
The Light Temporary Battery had its first test firings in 1916, these proved the emplacements to be unstable, and remedial work took place to improve the foundations. The four guns were positioned in two batteries across Spurn, one pair facing the estuary, the other the sea. All the guns were capable of a full 360 degree traverse, and each set of guns had its own BOP situated between the guns; both shared an engine room and magazine. Light was provided by four 90 cm DELs on the flanks of the battery.
The Light Permanent Battery was a more substantial structure, and was situated a few hundred yards to the rear of the
Temporary Battery. The guns were placed in concrete barbette positions with magazines below. Behind this was a BOP and a large engine room, which provided most of the power for the fort. The Port War Signal Station was built outside the confines of the fort and had its own barracks, officers' quarters and Wareless Station, all enclosed by a concrete wall. Both the Light Permanent and Temporary Batteries at Spurn were equipped to deal with lightly armed vessels or MTB's; heavier craft would be dealt with by the Green Battery. By late 1916 the battery was operational, and in 1917 the two seaward facing 4.7 inch guns in the Light Temporary battery were given the task of supporting the Outer Examination Service.
Between the wars the batteries were reduced to care and maintenance, and in the early 1920's the seaward facing 4.7" guns were withdrawn. During the peace the battery was maintained by a force of 30 Royal Engineers, and most of the guns were withdrawn, only two 4.7" guns remaining. These were moved to the vacant seaward positions.
Soon after the outbreak of war in 1939, the defences around Spurn were increased. Twin 12 pounder QF guns were placed on the beach in emergency holdfasts in 1939, while in 1940 the 4.7" guns were again moved to accommodate two new 6"Mk7 BL Guns on Mk2 mountings. A certain amount of construction took place, including roofing the open
emplacement for anti-strafing protection.
Further work took place with the installation of twin 6 pounder QF guns installed above the remaining 4.7 inch emplacements, these were to be used in conjunction with the similar weapons at Bull Sand Sea Fort. As well as this, new lighting was needed and so seven 90 cm DEL's and two 120 cm CASL's were installed. A new engine room was
built to power these lights behind the twin 6 pounder positions and extra generators installed in the old magazines at Green Battery. In September 1940 the 12 pounder guns were removed and in April 1941 the remaining 4.7" guns were removed and transferred to Sunk Island. The last guns installed at Spurn were two 4" BL Mk9 ex-naval guns,
brought to cover the area behind Spurn Point, which was an examination anchorage.
A number of different anti-invasion defences were constructed along the length of the spit, with various anti tank blocks, road and rail blocks, pillboxes, spigot mortars and field guns. Other wartime building work included the construction of a permanent road the length of the spit and a new BOP for the 6" guns. The port war signal station was again active and housed the fire command for the Humber Defences. A coast artillery Radar set was installed there in December 1943.
In the post war years the battery was gradually wound down until in 1959 the army withdrew totally from the spit and Spurn Point became a nature reserve. (1)
The site was visited in 1992 by the Fortress Studies Group. They recorded each structure on the site separately (see child records) and felt that overall the defence system was in poor condition and under obvious threat from erosion. (2)
Following the Fortress Study Group's identification survey, RCHME undertook a detailed 1:2500 survey of Spurn Fort in 1992. This was confined to the defences occupying the S tip of the promontory, in total about 32 hectares. This included Spurn Fort, centred at TA 399 108, enclosing an area of about 17 hectares. The current OS 25-inch map of 1971 was revised to show the various military structures within the fort, and these plans, together with a more complete report giving details of these structures, is held in the NMR.
Since the de-militarisation of the Point, the area has been invaded by dense scrub and sand-blow. The destruction of the military installations has been fairly comprehensive and has continued piecemeal to the present day. In general, the only structures to survive are those so massively built that total demolition was deemed impractical, and those buildings re-used by the civilian authorities, primarily the coastguard and the lifeboat services who maintain a presence here. (3)
Spurn Point batteries. (4)
Spurn Point Battery located at TA 3980 1069. Spurn Point Battery was built for four 4.7 inch weapons in 1915. In 1916 two further guns were installed but this later became a separate site called Green Battery. At the outbreak of the Second World War the battery gained two 12 pounder guns mounted on the beach in front of the battery in event of torpedo-boat attacks. The battery and its armament was significantly modified by 1941. In early 1940 the 4.7-inch guns were repositioned and replaced with two 6-inch guns. The 4.7-inch guns were removed completely in April 1941 and exchanged for 4-inch weapons. From August 1940 the battery's armament gained a further 4-inch gun mounted near the battery guard room, though this was removed in February 1941. In September 1940 the 12 pounder guns were exchanged for a pair of 6 pounder weapons. The battery was retained for permanent use after the Second World War. (5-6)
Spurn Point Battery survives in near complete condition. The complex of First and Second World War structures are situated in a vulnerable headland position. Aerial photography from 1993 shows that all the gun emplacements remain, but the ones at Green Battery have Second World War anti-aircraft emplacements at them. The battery observation posts and direction towers have gone, but various ancillary buildings survive, some of which have been reused. The coastal artillery searchlights are still visible, but are subject to dune build up. (7)
General number for substantial remains of World War 1 and World War 2 military complex at Spurn Head comprising three coastal batteries (Light Temporary Battery, Light Permanent Battery, Green Battery), linked by a railway, with associated observation posts, barracks, AA site and searchlight emplacements. Construction began in 1915 and the defences were rebuilt during World War 2. Spurn Point was demilitarised in 1959. (8) |