Archaeology Notes
Event ID 690369
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Archaeology Notes
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/690369
NS57NW 18.00 centred 54346 77269
NS57NW 18.01 centred 54357 77175 Military camp; Buildings; Huts
A heavy anti-aircraft battery is situated within the Mugdock Country Park some 600m W of Mugdock Castle on a S-facing slope N of Mugdock Wood.
The control building is located at NS 5434 7727 with the four gun emplacement positions to the E. Concrete cable channels survive leading from the control position to each of the gun platforms. To the N, (NS 5435 7735), is the water tank and at NS 5436 7717 are several concrete bases and one upstanding brick built accommodation block.
Visited by RCAHMS (DE/GS) 1 August 1996
This heavy anti-aircraft battery is situated within Mugdock Country Park to the W of Mugdock Castle (NS57NW 9). Constructed of brick and concrete, the command post, and four gun-emplacements with the remains of other buildings near by can still be seen.
It is possible that this battery did not receive any guns.
J Guy 1999; NMRS 810/7, 7-8, P1
(NS 549 774) The field survey component of the 2003 season took place in September. During this exploratory season, 23 sites were investigated and summarily recorded, and a walkover survey conducted of about 31ha.
Particular attention was paid to the remains of the anti-aircraft battery with attendant barracks (NS 542 773). Apart from the circular battery unit, which is semi-subterranean and survives to roof level, the ancillary buildings survive mostly as concrete platforms for timber buildings or with brick superstructure. In total, 20 buildings were located and briefly described.
NS 54300 77200 WW2 gun site and camp.
NS 54420 77290 Field wall and platform.
Sponsor: University of Glasgow.
S T Driscoll, K Brophy and M Given 2003
Mugdock Wood heavy anti-aircraft battery is visible on vertical air photographs taken in 1946 (106G/Scot/UK 92, 4193-4194, flown 15 May 1946), which clearly show the arc of gun-emplacements, command position and accommodation camp.
The arc of gun-emplacements (NS 54369 77299, NS 54380 77273, NS 54370 77245 and NS 54343 77235) are to a standard pattern with concrete ready-use ammunition lockers and crew shelters around the holdfast position. The brick and concrete command position (NS 54346 76729) is roofed, with compartments and has concrete cable trenches leading from the gun-emplacements probably to power the servo-assisted guns.
The structure about 73m NW from the command position (NS 54275 77356), is almost certainly the remains of a planned radar platform for a mobile unit within a Gl-mat. Traces of the outline of the hexagonal area are just visible on the 1946 air photographs.
The accommodation camp (NS57NW 18.01) is situated at the edge of Mugdock Wood about 116m to the S, many hut bases are still visible with one building remaining upstanding to roof height.
The battery was designated N9 by the War Office, but no evidence for armament or radar being supplied could be found in the Public Record Office (PRO) 1945 gun returns (WO/166/16650) suggesting that Guy is probably correct (Guy 1999).
A further series of vertical air photographs to a larger scale (OS 65/131, 371-373, flown 17 July 1965), provide a clearer view of the gun battery and its environs.
Information from RCAHMS (DE), November 2005
