History
In 1887 a lift shaft was dug down from the Needles Old Battery and five tunnels dug out to form gun emplacements in the northern cliff face at Alum Bay. These were built for quick-firing guns to combat torpedo boats in the Needles passage.
By 1892, one of the emplacements was being used for searchlight experiments, and two six-pounder QF guns were installed in another two.
This proved a problem however, as it appeared that visibility was too restricted at sea level for the two guns, as the gun ports were too small, and the torpedo boats were passing too quickly to make the guns effective, so they were removed. During the First World War, a searchlight beam was installed and used in one of the emplacements. This was powered via a Lister diesel generator. The searchlight provided a fixed beam across the channel and any ship which passed this beam would then be followed with searchlights from the battery above. The lift was powered by a Robey engine, this powered both the searchlight and the lift, but by 1915 this was changed to a Campbell Oil engine. From 1944, an electric lift gave access to the sea level battery.
This electric lift carried men to the sea level, where in 1943 a fixed beam searchlight had been installed. After hostilities of WW2 ceased in 1945, both batteries were deactivated and the downs were repopulated by rabbits again. The batteries were put up for disposal in 1952 and in 1954 the guns were scrapped.
Explore
So having a couple of weeks work on the island i had to fit a visit to this place in, we checked the tide times and found the day which would be best to do it (or so we fought) and went for it. Walking across big slippery rocks for about a mile was testing and the tide was rising rapidly as we reached the entrance so @L.Davvo and I rushed around the tunnels taking a few photos and got out and headed back to the bay. Good job we left when we did, by the time we was halfway back to the bay we were wading through the water chest high! If we would have left it any longer we would have been cut off by the tide or needing a coastguard rescue! 🤣 having avoided that and made it back to bay we stopped for a breather before walking up the steep steps back to the car. Needless to say I slept like a baby that night and had leg ache for the next 2 days but it was worth it.
Heres the few pics I rushed around taking, hoping for a return trip one day but for now these will do. Enjoy
One of the gun points from the outside
The entrance
Once your in there your met with a long tunnel that connects the 3 gun placements
A view from a gun port blocked by a rock fall
Looking up the lift shaft
I’m assuming this was the water pump
an old light fixing (again I’m assuming)
that’s all I got, sorry the quality is not great but we were rushed for time
In 1887 a lift shaft was dug down from the Needles Old Battery and five tunnels dug out to form gun emplacements in the northern cliff face at Alum Bay. These were built for quick-firing guns to combat torpedo boats in the Needles passage.
By 1892, one of the emplacements was being used for searchlight experiments, and two six-pounder QF guns were installed in another two.
This proved a problem however, as it appeared that visibility was too restricted at sea level for the two guns, as the gun ports were too small, and the torpedo boats were passing too quickly to make the guns effective, so they were removed. During the First World War, a searchlight beam was installed and used in one of the emplacements. This was powered via a Lister diesel generator. The searchlight provided a fixed beam across the channel and any ship which passed this beam would then be followed with searchlights from the battery above. The lift was powered by a Robey engine, this powered both the searchlight and the lift, but by 1915 this was changed to a Campbell Oil engine. From 1944, an electric lift gave access to the sea level battery.
This electric lift carried men to the sea level, where in 1943 a fixed beam searchlight had been installed. After hostilities of WW2 ceased in 1945, both batteries were deactivated and the downs were repopulated by rabbits again. The batteries were put up for disposal in 1952 and in 1954 the guns were scrapped.
Explore
So having a couple of weeks work on the island i had to fit a visit to this place in, we checked the tide times and found the day which would be best to do it (or so we fought) and went for it. Walking across big slippery rocks for about a mile was testing and the tide was rising rapidly as we reached the entrance so @L.Davvo and I rushed around the tunnels taking a few photos and got out and headed back to the bay. Good job we left when we did, by the time we was halfway back to the bay we were wading through the water chest high! If we would have left it any longer we would have been cut off by the tide or needing a coastguard rescue! 🤣 having avoided that and made it back to bay we stopped for a breather before walking up the steep steps back to the car. Needless to say I slept like a baby that night and had leg ache for the next 2 days but it was worth it.
Heres the few pics I rushed around taking, hoping for a return trip one day but for now these will do. Enjoy
One of the gun points from the outside
The entrance
Once your in there your met with a long tunnel that connects the 3 gun placements
A view from a gun port blocked by a rock fall
Looking up the lift shaft
I’m assuming this was the water pump
an old light fixing (again I’m assuming)
