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Charles Hill Battery
Coastal Battery (Second World War)
Site Name Charles Hill Battery
Classification Coastal Battery (Second World War)
Alternative Name(s) Forth Defences
Canmore ID 50889
Site Number NT18SE 27
NGR NT 1845 8377
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/50889
- Council Fife
- Parish Dalgety
- Former Region Fife
- Former District Dunfermline
- Former County Fife
NT18SE 27.00 18635 83806
NT18SE 27.01 NT 18642 83805 Gun-emplacement
NT18SE 27.02 NT 18636 83771, NT 18637 83761 and NT 18631 83752 Searchlight Battery
NT18SE 27.03 centred NT 18518 83726 Engine house; Huts
NT18SE 27.04 c. NT1858 8378 Spigot Mortar mounting
NT18SE 27.05 c. NT1852 8373 Anti-aircraft site
NT18SE 27.06 centred NT 1848 8381 Military camp
NT18SE 27.07 NT18626 83863 Searchlight emplacement (Lyon light)
Converted from militia camp to gun and searchlight site, 1940.
N H Clark 1986.
This concrete battery is situated to the E of the Braefoot Gas Terminal (NT18SE 23), consists of one twin 6-pounder gun emplacement, three fixed beam searchlight and Lyon light emplacements and an engine room. In addition there is one UP mounting which has used Monk's Cave (NT18SE 1) as a magazine and one spigot mortar emplacement.
The gun emplacement has now collapsed and the observation post has been demolished.
This site was an army camp before conversion to a battery.
J Guy 1994; NMRS MS 810/3; PRO WO/192/258
The coast battery is visible on a series of RAF WW II oblique aerial photographs (309E, 2231-2234, flown 6 April 1941) and on postwar RAF vertical air photographs (106G/Scot/UK 12, Pt.1, 6075-6077, flown 15 April 1946).
The gun battery has several elements, including a 'Lyon Light' emplacement, UP fixed projectile mounting and a spigot mortar mounting.
Most of the standing structures are constructed using shuttered concrete and brick. There is damage to the gun-emplacement, the front wall has been broken through and the battery observation post has been removed.
Charles Hill Battery is documented as having a single 6-pounder gun in 1940, designated 250 Battery and manned by 504 Regiment. (PRO WO 192/251; WO 199/2627; 199/527). The battery was later provided with a twin 6-pounder gun.
Information from RCAHMS (DE), March 2005.
Field Visit (25 July 2022)
The 2022 Historic Environment Survey of the Charles Hill Battery was part of a project aimed at improving the content of the National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) in respect to First and Second World War coastal defence sites along both sides of the estuary of the River Forth. The field survey of Charles Hill concentrated solely on recording and interpreting the remains of the sites; consequently little work has been directed towards the history of the use of the sites, a subject that has been thoroughly dealt with elsewhere. Details of each element of the battery are provided in the relevant sub-numbered record.
NT18SE 27.01 NT 18642 83805 Gun-emplacement
NT18SE 27.02 NT 18641 83776, NT 18642 83766 & NT 18637 83757 Searchlight Battery
NT18SE 27.03 NT 18518 83726 Engine house; Huts
NT18SE 27.04 NT 18582 83753 Spigot Mortar mounting
NT18SE 27.05 NT 18569 83716 & 18592 83784 Anti-aircraft site
NT18SE 27.06 NT 1848 8381 Military camp
NT18SE 27.07 NT 18626 83863 Searchlight emplacement (Lyon light)
NT18SE 27.08 NT 18543 83840 Auxiliary Engine House
NT18SE 27.09 NT 185 837 Trenches
NT18SE 27.10 NT 182 837 Gun Emplacement
NT18SE 27.11 NT 1858 8383 Gun Emplacement
NT18SE 27.12 NT 1853 8380 Machine Gun Post
NT18SE 27.13 NT 1834 8389 Minefield
Visited by HES Archaeological Survey (J. Sherriff; A. McCaig) 25 July 2022.
