Anti Aircraft Site At Tq 48738975

The following building shall be added:-

WHALEBONE LANE TQ 48 NE North (east side, off) 8/10 Anti-aircraft site at TQ48738975 II Anti-aircraft gun site. 1935-9. Brick with concrete render, and reinforced concrete; felting to roofs and some walls of accommodation blocks. All buildings single storey. Two command posts each with 4 gun emplacements set in a semi-circle on eastward side and linked by concrete roads; between each pair of emplacements, on outer side, is an ammunition store with blast walls; to south-west of northern command post are 3 detached blocks (probably 2 ammunition stores and a vehicle store), and another one to south-east of southern grouping (near to 2nd emplacement in anti-clockwise direction and probably for vehicle store). The command posts are comprised of clustered semi-subterranean accommodation blocks and walling; the southern one having a circular brick gun base. The gun emplacements are octagonal, each having 2 opposed entrances, that at inner side formerly gated and having, outside the emplacement, 1 or 2 ammunition stores; the outer entrances have screening walls and next to each was a subterranean corrugated iron shelter of which only fragments now remain; within each emplacement are 6 small ammunition stores having opposed metal doors and, inside, crude poles forming racks (the doors and poles now removed from a number of stores); in the centre of each emplacement is former gun position marked by holdfast bolts sunk in the concrete base. The larger ammunition stores (each serving 2 emplacements) are of 5 bays, defined by pilaster butresses, with windows and metal doors alternating (a number of windows now blocked and doors removed); inside are 5 cells, some with shelves, connected by front corridor; around each store are blast walls; the store at south-east corner of northern grouping has a watch tower. Two of the detached blocks to south-west of northern grouping have reinforced metal doors and ventilation holes at eaves; the larger one has 3 larger metal-louvred openings on west side. This anti-aircraft gun site formed part of the Inner Artillery Zone which surrounded London. It survives particularly well and is significant, also, in being a purpose-built 8-gun site (most sites had only 4 guns). The site saw a considerable amount of action 1940-41. Information from report by M Gilman. See also History of Anti-Aircraft Command Defence of Great Britain.

Listing NGR: TQ4873089728