The History
Shotley Battery was built around 1862-1865 to protect the Port of Felixstowe after fears of an invasion from France. There were already two Martello Towers watching over the River Orwell and River Stour and the addition of the Battery enhanced our defences against potential attacks. Built from just brick and earth, it had seven sides, 3 magazines and was surrounded by a dry ditch and a Carnot wall. The Battery was disarmed in 1901 and handed over to the Admiralty in 1904 as part of HMS Ganges on shore training establishment (RNTE). In the mid 70's it had a change of use and became a police training centre for the next 20 years until closing for good in 1999.
It's believed to be the only surviving mid 19th century battery in East Anglian although sadly the land has been bought by developers with plans to build approximately 300 houses as well as other facilities on the land.
The two Martello Towers are both still standing although have additions of a water tower on one and the other has a mast and 'lookout' post.
The Explore
So, I did this one mainly for my Dad. We were chatting about this the other week and turns out he used to go shooting there around 30 years ago. There was a rifle club, of which he was a member, called "Fortress Small Arms Club'. The site back then was closed to the public and he remembers it as being the police training base with plenty of old cars laying around the site with bullet holes in them and being pretty derelict. Anyway, enough about my Dad.
It was a relatively easy one to do. Approaching it from the Marina there's the original concrete steps going up the hill to the site, once at the top there was a small area of woodland complete with Muntjac running around and within a couple of minutes I was at the site. The land, as it's now been sold off, has been split into various areas all with separate perimeter fences which is why I stuck to the battery and didn't check out HMS Ganges buildings.
The dry ditch is still very much visible and the bulk of the Carnot wall remains with some old railings. The magazines have survived and the passageways underground are close to perfect, nature is creeping over the top of some areas which adds to the charm of finding these things. One of the gun emplacements has survived, the hauling rings are still in place together with the remains of the mounting blocks which would have allowed the guns to be rotated on pulleys. I found another little store which, now I've had more time to read, I think it's the 'exploding cartridge store' - it's a slightly sunken, earth covered bunker.
Really quiet up there - just nature and the Muntjacs but visible signs of development happening to the area with plenty of diggers abandoned for the weekend.
And that's the first report over with (phew). Preview looks ok so fingers crossed the photos have uploaded properly!
Shotley Battery was built around 1862-1865 to protect the Port of Felixstowe after fears of an invasion from France. There were already two Martello Towers watching over the River Orwell and River Stour and the addition of the Battery enhanced our defences against potential attacks. Built from just brick and earth, it had seven sides, 3 magazines and was surrounded by a dry ditch and a Carnot wall. The Battery was disarmed in 1901 and handed over to the Admiralty in 1904 as part of HMS Ganges on shore training establishment (RNTE). In the mid 70's it had a change of use and became a police training centre for the next 20 years until closing for good in 1999.
It's believed to be the only surviving mid 19th century battery in East Anglian although sadly the land has been bought by developers with plans to build approximately 300 houses as well as other facilities on the land.
The two Martello Towers are both still standing although have additions of a water tower on one and the other has a mast and 'lookout' post.
The Explore
So, I did this one mainly for my Dad. We were chatting about this the other week and turns out he used to go shooting there around 30 years ago. There was a rifle club, of which he was a member, called "Fortress Small Arms Club'. The site back then was closed to the public and he remembers it as being the police training base with plenty of old cars laying around the site with bullet holes in them and being pretty derelict. Anyway, enough about my Dad.
It was a relatively easy one to do. Approaching it from the Marina there's the original concrete steps going up the hill to the site, once at the top there was a small area of woodland complete with Muntjac running around and within a couple of minutes I was at the site. The land, as it's now been sold off, has been split into various areas all with separate perimeter fences which is why I stuck to the battery and didn't check out HMS Ganges buildings.
The dry ditch is still very much visible and the bulk of the Carnot wall remains with some old railings. The magazines have survived and the passageways underground are close to perfect, nature is creeping over the top of some areas which adds to the charm of finding these things. One of the gun emplacements has survived, the hauling rings are still in place together with the remains of the mounting blocks which would have allowed the guns to be rotated on pulleys. I found another little store which, now I've had more time to read, I think it's the 'exploding cartridge store' - it's a slightly sunken, earth covered bunker.
Really quiet up there - just nature and the Muntjacs but visible signs of development happening to the area with plenty of diggers abandoned for the weekend.
And that's the first report over with (phew). Preview looks ok so fingers crossed the photos have uploaded properly!
