Archaeology Notes

Event ID 791922

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/791922

NS36NE 32 39320 66743

This World War II heavy anti-aircraft battery is situated to the N of Bridge of Weir E of Yonderton farmsteading. The track to the battery starts at Gryffe Wraes on the Houston Road. Four brick and concrete gun-emplacements, command post, engine room and 'computer' room survive. Some huts and other buildings of the accommodation camp are also extant. In the woods to the E are a further group of buildings connected with this battery.

J Guy 2001; NMRS MS 810/11, Part 2, 149-150; Vol.2 (appendix) 13-14

Information provided to RCAHMS (Information via e-mail from Mr J Bamber 19 March 2008) has provided evidence that this battery was converted to mount postwar developments in gun technology, either upgraded 3.7-inch or 4.5-inch calibre. The emplacements were altered from their WW II configuration as was the control position and a possible engine room or magazine added immediately outside the arc of gun positions.

Large scale (1:5000) vertical air photographs taken in 1945 show that alterations to the WW II battery had already begun by that date. (106G/UK 988, frames 4025-4026, flown 9 November 1945). On the 1945 images it can be seen that all four of the gun emplacements have recent additions (new concrete), but the command position remains unaltered. Further air photography from 1947 (CPE/Scot/UK 277, part 1, frames 5082-5083, flown 24 August 1947) shows that alterations had been completed as there would appear to no further changes to the site. Large scale air photography (1:7500 scale) of the site from 1963 (OS/63/90, frames 119-121, flown 3 June 1963), and curent OS 1:2500 scale mapping clearly shows all the previously noted postwar alterations to the battery.

The evidence would appear to suggest that this battery was being developed from an existing WW II AA site possibly as part of the post war Rotor programme, under Army AA Command.

Information from RCAHMS (DE), 20 March 2008; e-mail J Bamber 19 March 2008.

Scheduled as 'Gryffe Wraes Cottage, anti-aircraft site 185m WNW of [comprising] the remains of a heavy anti-aircraft battery [dating from] the Second World War, with later alterations made during the post-war and Cold War period]. The battery consists of a command post, four gun emplacements, generator building and 'computer' hut.'

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 11 February 2011.