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Gibbhill Saw Mill, Air-sea Rescue Base
Air Sea Rescue Station (Second World War), Saw Mill (20th Century)
Site Name Gibbhill Saw Mill, Air-sea Rescue Base
Classification Air Sea Rescue Station (Second World War), Saw Mill (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Gibb's Hill; Gibb Hill; Raf Air Sea Rescue Base
Canmore ID 252142
Site Number NX65SE 355
NGR NX 6717 5048
NGR Description Centred NX 67172 50488
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/252142
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Twynholm
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Stewartry
- Former County Kirkcudbrightshire
NX65SE 355.00 centred 67172 50488
NX65SE 355.01 NX 67172 50488 Boathouse
NX65SE 355.02 NX 67244 50476 Slipway
Gib Hill saw mill has utilised parts of the former World War II Air Sea Rescue base. No.55 Air Sea Rescue Unit were based here and the slipway, boathouse, and other buildings are still extant.
The group of buildings are visible on RAF postwar vertical air photographs (106G/UK 421, 3033-34, flown 19 June 1945) and show a layout similar to that depicted on the current OS digital maps.
Information from RCAHMS (DE), November 2003
The main building in use by the sawmill is the former boathouse. On the roof at the N end of the building is a small observation tower which was to control the movement of launches in the Dee Estuary. The shed has asbestos cladding on the walls and a concrete tiled roof. There are some surviving ancillary buildings on the N side of the boat shed. All other structures have been built for the sawmill.
Visited by RCAHMS (DE), March 2004.
Field Visit (2014)
A collection of features including a crumbling stone and concrete jetty, linear wooden piles (Yair on O.S. map) and 2 abandoned boats. Located in intertidal zone and under threat from erosion. Jetty is 40m x 8m. Boats; 15m long, 10m long and 4m long.
Visited by Scotland's Coastal Heritage at Risk (SCHARP) 2014
Field Visit (21 October 2015)
ShoreUPDATE 21/10/2015
The yair sits on the east side of the river, the slipway and boats are on the west coast.
The slipway was part of the Second World War RAF Air Sea Rescue base at Gibbhill (in use from 1941 to 1944), and is of typical wartime prefab construction. The top is capped with large flat concrete slabs. The landward end is constructed of concrete sandbags, the seaward end is of concrete poured into corrugated shuttering.
The southernmost boat is the smaller of the two, and sits 15m to the north of the slipway. A mooring rope runs from the boat to a large timber post adjacent to the slipway. The boat is built of wood, and survives up to 7m in length, but was originally longer. Survives up to 0.5m in height. Clinker construction with copper alloy fastenings. The front 3.5m of the hull is better-preserved; frames and planking survive on both port and starboard sides, and one floor remains in situ towards the front. One internal plank survives in the starboard side towards the front. The base of the stem post survives, and the keel/keelson survives to a length of 7m.
The northern boat is much larger, c.15m long, appears to be a wooden trawler, settled on its starboard side, with an iron frame at the stern. Wooden carvel build, with iron fittings. Almost the entire hull survives to deck level although there is fire damage on the uppermost exposed port side planking. The stem post survives to its full height, and has evidence of iron sheathing. The hull is largely intact; keel, keelson, deadwood, stem post, floors, frames survive to top timber, internal and external planking, decking and knees all present. A lower deck survives in areas, and superstructure and elements of deck equipment including rusted chains lie in the interior, possibly fallen in when the deck collapsed. Poured concrete ballast sits in situ. The rudder is detached and lies beneath the stern, and a possible exhaust pipe is visible at the stern. Surface treatment includes red paint and pitch.
Various detached metal and timber elements lie loose on the foreshore, though not all are necessarily related to the hulks.
Visited by Scotland's Coastal Heritage at Risk (SCHARP) 2015
