Pricing Change
New pricing for orders of material from this site will come into place shortly. Charges for supply of digital images, digitisation on demand, prints and licensing will be altered.
Field Visit
Date 13 June 2018
Event ID 1042625
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1042625
What has been erroneously identified as a decoy are the remains of a World War Two searchlight battery, which is situated on the SW slopes of Cochno Hill just above a private road that follows the course of the Loch Humphrey Burn up to Greenside Reservoir. The battery was one of about 120 that were constructed to protect the industries in the centre of Glasgow and along the banks of the River Clyde from aerial attack by the Luftwaffe. The remains comprise three concrete building platforms and the earthwork defences of a light anti-aircraft gun. The grass-grown platforms (NS 48040 74687, NS 48059 74683, NS 48045 74694), which are deeply terraced into the rising slope N of the road, measure 11m long and 4.5m broad. All disclose traces of timber sill beams at their leading edge, while spoil from their excavation has been piled up immediately above the cuts made for the platforms on the NW and SE. The earthwork enclosure (NS48103 74755) designed to protect the light anti-aircraft gun is situated in a glade in the young plantation about 75m NE of the platforms. Oval on plan, it measures 8.3m from NNE to SSW by 7.8m transversely within a grass-grown bank up to 2m thick and 1.2m high. Access is via an opening on the SE. The turves and earth used in its construction were possibly taken from a small grass- and tree-grown quarry (NS47SE 285) situated 40m to the NW. This measures 7.4m from N to S by 5.4m transversely and 0.4m deep. Its S side is marked by a grass-grown bank 2m thick and 0.25m high.
The location of the searchlight (NS 48075 74759) has been planted over and is now only marked by a shallow disturbance.
Visited by HES, Survey and Recording (ATW, AKK) 13 June 2018.
