Lewis, Brenish, Mealista, Chain Home Radar Station

Radar Station (20th Century)

Site Name Lewis, Brenish, Mealista, Chain Home Radar Station

Classification Radar Station (20th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Brenais; Rubh' An Teampuill

Canmore ID 139410

Site Number NA92SE 18

NGR NA 99136 24239

NGR Description Centred NA 99136 24239

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/139410

Digital Images

DP 006998

View. Air raid shelter and entrance.

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RCAHMS digital photography

2/8/2005

SC 1691835

Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of the township and lazy beds with the remains of the radar station and possible nunnery adjacent, taken from the N.

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RCAHMS Aerial Photography

28/9/2004

SC 1691837

Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of the township and lazy beds with the remains of the radar station and possible nunnery adjacent, taken from the NW.

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RCAHMS Aerial Photography

28/9/2004

DP 007002

View. Engine house with mast tensioning block from SW.

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RCAHMS digital photography

2/8/2005

SC 1691826

Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of the township and lazy beds with the remains of the radar station and possible nunnery adjacent, taken from the NNE.

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RCAHMS Aerial Photography

28/9/2004

SC 1691828

Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of the township and lazy beds with the remains of the radar station and possible nunnery adjacent, taken from the WSW.

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RCAHMS Aerial Photography

28/9/2004

DP 007003

View. Remains of concrete hut base with stone piers from W.

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RCAHMS digital photography

2/8/2005

DP 007001

Detail. Mast tensioning concrete support block.

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RCAHMS digital photography

2/8/2005

DP 007004

View. Engine house from SE.

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RCAHMS digital photography

2/8/2005

SC 1171775

Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of the township and lazy beds with the remains of the radar station and possible nunnery adjacent, taken from the NNE.

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RCAHMS Aerial Photography

28/9/2004

DP 007000

View. Engine house with mast tension block from S.

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RCAHMS digital photography

2/8/2005

DP 110799

Oblique aerial view of the remains of the head dykes, lazy beds and buildings at Mealista, taken from the ENE.

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RCAHMS Aerial Photography Digital

15/11/2011

SC 1691834

Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of the township and lazy beds with the remains of the radar station and possible nunnery adjacent, taken from the NE.

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RCAHMS Aerial Photography

28/9/2004

DP 110798

Oblique aerial view of the remains of the head dykes, lazy beds and buildings at Mealista, taken from the E.

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RCAHMS Aerial Photography Digital

15/11/2011

SC 1691827

Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of the township and lazy beds with the remains of the radar station and possible nunnery adjacent, taken from the WSW.

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RCAHMS Aerial Photography

28/9/2004

SC 1691833

Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of the township and lazy beds with the remains of the radar station and possible nunnery adjacent, taken from the E.

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RCAHMS Aerial Photography

28/9/2004

Collections

Administrative Areas

Council Western Isles
Parish Uig
Former Region Western Isles Islands Area
Former District Western Isles
Former County Ross And Cromarty

Archaeology Notes

NA92SE 18 centred 99136 24239

For the accommodation camp see NA92NE 9

A WWII Chain Home radar station is situated immediately NW of Mealista.

Information from Mr I Brown, November 1998

Situated on the W side of the road at Mealista is a WW II Chain Home Radar Station. A brick and concrete powerhouse, hut bases and a few mast stay anchor blocks are extant. The mast bases have been buried in recent years.

J Guy 2002; NMRS MS 810/12, 7-12

The Chain Home Low Radar station is situated on sloping ground the W side of a track leading to Mealista. The largest surviving structure is the brick and concrete main electricity generator house, with two extant engine 'beds' within. The building is now in use as an animal shelter. Immediately to the NE and SW of this building are concrete mast stay blocks with metal hoops for support wires.

Distributed around the site, notably at NA 99080 24298 and NA 99075 24204 are concrete hut bases. At NA 99149 24224, on top of a rocky knoll, is the delapidated base of a hut, supported on six brick pillars.

At NA 98963 24235 (obtained by using a hand held GPS Garmin) is what may be a small circular machine gun position guarding the rocky beach. One air-raid shelter is extant on the E side of the road at c.NA 9917 2427.

Brenais (Brenish) was completed in late 1942 and in service by 1943 (I Brown Radar Archive, PRO AIR 2/2667 and AIR 26/92) and closed in November 1945.

The radar station is visible on a RAF vertical air photograph (CPE/Scot/UK 186, 1429, flown 9 October 1946), which shows two large masts, transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx) blocks (NA 99081 24298 and NA 99075 24208), the generator house (NA 99136 24239) and about ten huts all situated on the W side of the road. The masts, visible on the air photographs, stood adjacent to the Tx and Rx blocks.

The accomodation camp was about 2.5km to the N (see NA92NE 9).

Visited by RCAHMS (DE, CS, SW), 3 August 2005

References

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