South Sutor

The remains of this building, which formed part of the infrastructure of the battery introduced by the Admiralty in the First World War, are situated on a steep grass- and rush-grown NE-facing slope about 10m WNW of the Engine House (NH86NW 11.19). The building, which comprised five separate compartments, was constructed largely of timber and corrugated iron sheets on a series of five platforms that descended the slope. All that can be seen today are the platforms, the concrete piles that supported the timber superstructure, and a concrete revetment at the top of the slope. The three upper compartments measured at least 14.75m from NW to SE by 3.35m transversely, the fourth measured 9.8m from NW to SE by 3.35m, and the fifth and lowermost 7.35m from NW to SE by 3.35m.

The building, which is annotated ‘Sergeants and Men’ on a plan of the battery in the Fort Record Book held in the National Archives at Kew (WO78/5192 18/19), was evidently a barracks, and it lay immediately W of the staircase and slipway (NH86NW 11.37). Each compartment was approached separately by a landing extending W from the staircase.

The building is also visible in two photographs taken on 28 August 1913, when the battery was still under construction. Fabrication was almost completed by this stage and the images show how the five compartments rose in tiers one above the other. One photograph (SC893188), taken from above the cookhouse and store (NH86NW 11.37) in a WSW direction, shows that while each compartment had a timber roof that sloped gently NE, they still lacked the layer of bitumen with which they would have been waterproofed. A series of central vents ran parallel with the length of the compartments, and chimneys were provided at their NE and NW corners – save in the lowest compartment, where there was a chimney only in the NE corner. Their walls were clad with corrugated iron sheets and doors were provided in their SE elevation, which led on to the landings extending from the staircase. The NE elevation of each of the four upper compartments overlooked the roof of that below and each contained four rectangular windows, except that of the lowest compartment which was provided with only three. A second photograph (SC1116235) taken from the path above and to the W of the barracks shows how the piles carried the timber superstructure and that there was a clear void under each compartment. It also shows that there was a single window set off-centre in the NW elevation of each compartment.

Visited by HES, Survey and Recording (ATW, AKK), 20 February 2020.