Rerwick Head Battery, Mwss, Fire Command Post
Observation Post (20th Century)
Site Name Rerwick Head Battery, Mwss, Fire Command Post
Classification Observation Post (20th Century)
Canmore ID 269754
Site Number HY51SW 10.07
NGR HY 54190 11590
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/269754
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish St Andrews And Deerness
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY51SW 10.07 54190 11590
The MWSS Fire Command Post is situated at the end of a track from Rerwick farmsteading about 255m S of the Battery Observation Post (HY51SW 10.02).
Built of shuttered concrete and facing NE, it measures about 6.5m by 5m and has a concrete roof and canopy. The canopy and roof, which has been extended slightly at the SE end, is supported by a very large Reinforced Steel Girder (RSG) beam. Entrance is at the NW end by a doorway, the frame of which has been removed and also at this end is a small extension with doorway. Two windows have been built into the rear elevation.
The observation window runs the full length of the NE elevation and extends into both the NW and SE ends. The window opening retains some of the wooden framing and has the remains of wooden shuttering still in situ.
Internally, few original features are still extant apart from some fixing points along the lower part of the wooden window frame.
Two other concrete buildings were noted about 35m SW of the Fire Command Post. One, at HY 54157 11584, is reduced to a concrete base the other, at HY 54153 11574, still stands as a roofed building. It is not known what these buildings were used for as they are not shown on the PRO layout plan (WO 192/264).
Visited by RCAHMS (DE, GS, SW), August 1999
