Archaeology Notes

Event ID 646385

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/646385

HY51SW 10.00 54106 11885

HY51SW 10.01 HY 54105 11899, HY 54118 11875 and HY 54098 11885 Gun-emplacements; Magazine

HY51SW 10.02 HY 54117 11836 Observation post

HY51SW 10.03 HY 54099 11822 Building

HY51SW 10.04 HY 53984 11942 and HY 54170 11753 Searchlight battery

HY51SW 10.05 HY 53968 11891 and HY 54027 11813 Engine houses

HY51SW 10.06 centred HY 5398 1187 Military camp

HY51SW 10.07 HY 54190 11590 Observation post

HY51SW 10.08 HY 54158 11693 Building

HY51SW 10.09 centred HY 53856 11741 and c.5384 1180 Military camp; Air-raid shelters

A very extensive and well-preserved series of batteries and associated buildings. Military structures once occupied the whole area eastward from Rerwick farm; the batteries are mostly on the point of Rerwick Head and S from it. The Orkney Structure Plan lists this along with Ness Battery, Stromness, for retention with view to preservation as a historical monument. (Orkney Structure Plan 1975 amended 1978, appendix B, para 7.1).

There were defences here in both World Wars.

Visited by R G Lamb April 1979.

RCAHMS 1987.

This battery included 2 x 6-inch guns on naval mountings from HMS Iron Duke.

J Guy 1993; NMRS MS 810/2, 48-58; WO/192/264.

At Rerwick Head are the extensive remains of a Coastal Battery with many of the associated buildings such as control positions, command posts, searchlight platforms and the machinery house still upstanding. In addition are the footings of the accommodation blocks, recreation rooms (including the billiard room), bathhouse and ablutions block.

An interesting facet of this site is the survival of at least eight turf banked machine gun posts along the cliff edge between the main battery site (From HY 5410 1187 to HY 5424 1146), with another possible one at HY 5392 1189. There is also a light anti-aircraft position at HY 5392 1187 which retains ammunition lockers.

There are further accommodation blocks at HY 5383 1177 with what may be the remains of two air-raid shelters cut into the shoreline at HY 5380 1178, they are no longer are roofed, but the concrete steps into them survive at the SE end.

Visited by RCAHMS (DE) May 1996.

The WW II coast battery is visible on RAF vertical air photographs (106G/Scot/UK 137, 4038-4039, 3 July 1946), which show that the guns were still in place at this date along with most of the huts.

A Gun-record book layout plan exists in the Public Record Office (PRO WO 192/264), along with other documentation (WO 192/112, WO 199/2627 and WO 199/527), showing that in 1941 it was designated as 146 Battery and manned by 535 Regiment.

Information from RCAHMS (DE), February 2005