Pier Head Batteries
The Pier Head Batteries are a series of three former gun batteries spanning the two northernmost breakwater arms of Portland Harbour, the north-eastern breakwater and northern breakwater. The three batteries were based on and around A, B and C Pier Heads. They were established in 1904-05 and used until 1956 to defend the harbour's north and east ship channels.
The surviving emplacements and pre-1945 buildings of all three batteries are Grade II listed as part of the listing of the breakwater arms. Each pier head has an approximate diameter of 30 metres.
History
New breakwater works and temporary anti-torpedo boat defences (1893-1905)
The Pier Head Batteries were established in response to the growing threat of torpedo boat attack during the late 19th century, to which Portland Harbour was considered particularly vulnerable. At the time, Portland was developing as an increasingly important station for the Royal Navy, following the creation of a harbour of refuge there with the building of two breakwater arms in 1849-72. Despite the value of the existing breakwaters, the northern region of the harbour remained exposed between the Breakwater Fort and Weymouth. Furthermore, the fortifications established during the mid-19th century had become obsolete and their guns ineffective against fast-moving torpedo boats. As naval warfare continued to advance at an unprecedented rate, rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns were superseded by quick-firing (QF) and breech-loading (BL) guns, and a range of new technology was available for coastal defence including searchlights, and range-finding and telephonic equipment.
To combat the torpedo boat threat at Portland, proposals were made in 1892 to either install a boom spanning the open gap across the harbour or construct a further two breakwater arms. The Admiralty chose the latter option and wrote to HM Treasury in 1893, where they described Portland as "one of the most important places in the United Kingdom for our battleships", but it was "at present undefended against torpedo attacks". As such a scheme was estimated to take approximately ten years to complete, a quick, temporary measure was also sought for the interim. Plans were drawn up for the construction of a 600-yard bank of stone spanning from Bincleaves and a line of dolphins, structures of iron and timber, between which boom defences "strong enough to resist the onslaught of a torpedo boat" would be installed. Construction of these temporary measures were carried out in 1894-96. From Bincleaves Groyne to the Breakwater Fort, the dolphins were designated F, F1, F2, F3, C, B, B1, B2, E, E1, E2 and A.
A few of the twelve dolphins were each fortified with two QF 12-pounder naval guns and a Maxim machine gun for defence against torpedo boat attack. These fortified dolphins each had a building which provided accommodation for the gun crews (made up of five men and one officer). There was also storage space for the guns themselves, which were dismounted and placed inside when not in use, as well as their ammunition. The original intention was to arm the dolphins with twenty-four QF 6-pounder guns but this was altered in 1894 to ten QF 12-pounders. Meanwhile, the same period saw Portland's coastal defences modernised and expanded. The Inner Pier Head Fort was modernised in 1897-99 to accommodate two QF guns and a Maxim gun, and the Breakwater Fort also received two QF guns in 1898. New batteries were built on land; Blacknor (1900-02) and Upton (1901-03) providing additional protection over the western and eastern approaches to Portland. All of the unarmed dolphins held the hauling gear for the boom defences and the jetty of the Breakwater Fort was modified to hold hauling gear too.
The scheme for the new breakwaters received parliamentary approval in 1895 through the Naval Works Acts of 1895-96 and preliminary work began at the end of 1895. The new breakwaters were constructed from 1896 in accordance with the positions of the dolphins, with hopper barges being used to drop the stone in place within the harbour. Apart from some further work on the three pier heads, which continued into 1905, the completion of the breakwaters was announced in the Naval Estimates of 1904-05.
Establishment and use of Pier Head Batteries (1904-1939)
While the new breakwaters and boom defences spanning the entrances to the harbour greatly diminished Portland's vulnerability to torpedo attack, the three pier heads were also fortified to provide additional protection. "A" Head was built opposite the Breakwater Fort, overlooking the east ship channel, and "B" and "C" Heads faced opposite one another at the north ship channel. Work on fortifying the pier heads began in November 1904 and was completed in February 1905 for a cost of £1,572. Each head was armed with two QF 12-pounder guns and a Maxim gun.
Shelters (with bunks) and ablutions were provided in buildings on the breakwater arms alongside each battery, while the magazine levels directly below the heads provided stores for cartridges and shells, along with another shelter. The magazines of B and C Head were accessed by a hatch with an iron ladder and A Head's was accessed by a spiral staircase underneath the Breakwater Lighthouse. Each head had an additional hatch with a davit for hoisting up the ammunition. The three batteries worked in conjunction with a number of defence electric lights (DELs). By 1905, two fixed lights were located on the middle of the northern breakwater, three fixed lights at the Breakwater Fort and two concentrated moveable lights on the outer breakwater.
The original armament arrangement of the three batteries proved short-lived as proposals were soon made for the installation of two BL 6-inch Mark VII guns, one each at B and C Heads. In 1905, the War Office proposed installing four of these guns at the Breakwater Fort, two on the roof and two at original gun floor level. Those intended for the roof were installed in 1909, but it was decided that the other two should be sited at B and C Heads, and plans to accommodate them there were drawn up in 1907. It was proposed to construct each new BL gun emplacement over an existing QF one. To accommodate the loss of the two QF positions, four new emplacements would be built on the breakwaters adjacent to the heads, two at B and two at C. An alternative drawing for the proposed BL gun emplacement at B Head suggested building it adjacent to the pier head, leaving the existing QF positions unaltered.
The work was carried out in 1910 and the two BL guns were subsequently installed. The gun installed at C Head in 1911 came from Upton Battery; it was taken from the fort by traction engine then transported by barge to C Head. The BL gun emplacement at B Head was built over the right QF emplacement and the one at C Head built over the left QF emplacement. No new QF emplacements were built at C Head; instead four were built along the breakwater adjacent to B Head. With the installation of the BL guns, the two QF guns at C Head were moved to B Head. As part of the upgrades to the batteries, new shelters and other ancillary buildings were also erected on the breakwaters, and magazines converted from existing buildings to be closer to the guns. The main shelter for B Head, with ablutions and cookhouse, was built to accommodate three officers and 66 men.
At the beginning of World War I, the armament of the batteries remained as two QF guns at A Head, one BL gun at C Head, and one BL and four QF guns at B Head. One of the QF guns at B Head was temporarily withdrawn soon after and the 6-inch gun was mounted in reserve by 1919. By 1922, the BL gun had returned to B Head, but the guns and carriages across the three batteries were all classed as being in "care and maintenance". The BL gun at C Head was removed and sent to the Drill Hall in 1924. In 1927, it was recommended that all guns, except for two QF guns at B Head, be removed. This was subsequently carried out, leaving the harbour's QF gun defence as two at B Head and two on the Breakwater Fort's jetty. The recommended 6-pounder anti-C.M.B. guns, one each for A and C Heads, were never mounted. In 1934, the two guns at B Head were moved to C Head and the two on the Breakwater Jetty were removed after this time. Defence electric lights operating during this period included two at C Head and four at the Breakwater Fort.
Use of batteries in World War II (1939-1945)
With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the batteries were manned by the Dorsetshire Heavy Regiment RA (TA), with personnel of the Dorset Fortress RE (TA) responsible for manning the searchlights and engine rooms on the northern breakwater (there were no searchlights on the north-eastern one). In July 1940, the Dorsetshire Heavy Regiment was reorganised as 522nd (Dorsetshire) Coast Regiment RA, leaving A and B Heads and the north-eastern breakwater to be manned by 106 Coast Battery, and C Head and the northern breakwater by 107 Coast Battery.
During 1940, the Royal Engineers undertook construction work on the breakwaters, reconstructing some of the existing buildings and adding new ones which primarily provided accommodation and associated facilities. The same year saw two QF 12-pounder guns and a Bofors 40mm gun installed at A Head. Between 1940-42, new fixed lights, by then known as coast artillery searchlights (CASLs), were installed: three at B Head, two on the north-eastern breakwater and two at A Head. These were housed in new emplacements, most of which were constructed alongside new engine rooms to house the generators. The northern breakwater also retained two fixed lights from before the war and the Breakwater Fort had two fighting lights.
In addition to the boom defences, which were manned by a small detachment of naval and civilian personnel, the north and east ship channels were protected by observation minefields, and these were in place between 1941-42, with control stations at A and B Heads. Other anti-invasion measures included naval flamethrowers with Merlin engines at all three heads and later the installation of depth charge throwers. The two ship channels were also protected by torpedo firing positions. The north channel was protected by two positions at the long range on the northern breakwater and three at B Head, while the east channel had three at A Head and two at the Whitehead range on the north-eastern breakwater.
Proposals were made in 1940 to replace the QF 12-pounder guns at A and C Heads with two QF twin 6-pounder guns. Plans were drawn up in 1941 for the construction of their emplacements, one at A Head and one at B Head, with a director sight tower to be built directly behind the guns. They were to be worked in conjunction with eight searchlights, three each at A and B Heads and two at the middle of the north-eastern breakwater. The emplacements were built in 1944 but the guns were not installed until after the war.
In 1944, C Head was recorded as having an array of other weaponry in addition to its QF guns, including two Bofors guns, two Bren light machine guns, one Lewis light machine gun, one Hotchkiss gun, one twin M2 Browning gun, one 29mm Spigot Mortar and a 3-inch Harvey Projector. In 1945, the batteries were reduced to care and maintenance, while some of the subsidiary equipment at C Head was removed, leaving its two QF guns and searchlights.
Post war use and decommissioning (1945-1956)
During the final years of their use, the Pier Head Batteries served as practice batteries for the territorial army. In 1948, the QF 12-pounder guns at A and C Heads were fitted with new barrels. They were replaced in December 1953 when the two proposed QF twin 6-pounder guns were finally installed at A and B Heads. The work was carried out by 245 Armament Battery RA, with the new guns arriving by boat from Portsmouth. The northern breakwater was no longer armed, but retained its two searchlights which were operated from B Head. The UK's coastal defences were decommissioned in 1956, including those at Portland, and the guns of the Pier Head Batteries were removed around this time.
Surviving features
Various aspects of the three batteries survive although many of the earlier buildings have been demolished or replaced with later buildings. Other associated military structures across the northern and north-eastern breakwaters survive too.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Bincleaves groyne and the north-eastern breakwater, Portland - website page
2) Ordnance Survey - various maps including 1903, 1929 and 1958
3) Pastscape - New Breakwater A Pier Head - website page
4) Pastscape - New Breakwater B Pier Head - website page
5) Pastscape - New Breakwater C Pier Head - website page
6) Portland Harbour and its Defences Report - anonymous author - undated - pages 73-74, 76, 81-85
7) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles - website page
8) The Coastal Defences of Portland and Weymouth - E. A. Andrews and M. L. Pinsent - 1981 - supplement to the journal Fort (Fortress Study Group) - report
9) The National Archives - H M Dockyard, Portland: Breakwater. B Pierhead - WORK 41/607 - declassified plan - 1906 - website page
10) The National Archives - H M Dockyard, Portland: Breakwater Fort. Head 'A' - WORK 41/63 - declassified plan - 1906 - website page
11) The National Archives - H M Dockyard, Portland: Breakwater Fort. Head 'B' - WORK 41/65 - declassified plan - 1906 - website page
12) The National Archives - H M Dockyard, Portland: Breakwater Fort. Head 'C' - WORK 41/66 - declassified plan - 1906 - website page
13) The National Archives - Portland: North Eastern Breakwater - WO 192/300 - fort record book - 1939-57 - website page
14) The National Archives - Weymouth: 'C' Pier Head - WO 192/310 - fort record book - 1913-54 - website page
15) The National Archives - Weymouth and Portland Area: Portland Breakwater: "A", "B" and "C" Pierheads - WO 78/5077 - declassified plans and drawings - 1906, 1911, 1915, 1941 - website page
16) The National Archives - Weymouth and Portland Area: Portland Breakwater: "B" and "C" Pierheads - WO 78/5080 - declassified drawings - 1908-10, 1912 - website page
17) The Portland Naval Base, Dorset K/428 - Keystone (Historic Buildings Consultants) - Volumes 1 and 2 - 1993 - report
18) The Rise and Fall of Portland Naval Base 1845-1995 - Geoffrey Carter - 1998 - report
The surviving emplacements and pre-1945 buildings of all three batteries are Grade II listed as part of the listing of the breakwater arms. Each pier head has an approximate diameter of 30 metres.
History
New breakwater works and temporary anti-torpedo boat defences (1893-1905)
The Pier Head Batteries were established in response to the growing threat of torpedo boat attack during the late 19th century, to which Portland Harbour was considered particularly vulnerable. At the time, Portland was developing as an increasingly important station for the Royal Navy, following the creation of a harbour of refuge there with the building of two breakwater arms in 1849-72. Despite the value of the existing breakwaters, the northern region of the harbour remained exposed between the Breakwater Fort and Weymouth. Furthermore, the fortifications established during the mid-19th century had become obsolete and their guns ineffective against fast-moving torpedo boats. As naval warfare continued to advance at an unprecedented rate, rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns were superseded by quick-firing (QF) and breech-loading (BL) guns, and a range of new technology was available for coastal defence including searchlights, and range-finding and telephonic equipment.
To combat the torpedo boat threat at Portland, proposals were made in 1892 to either install a boom spanning the open gap across the harbour or construct a further two breakwater arms. The Admiralty chose the latter option and wrote to HM Treasury in 1893, where they described Portland as "one of the most important places in the United Kingdom for our battleships", but it was "at present undefended against torpedo attacks". As such a scheme was estimated to take approximately ten years to complete, a quick, temporary measure was also sought for the interim. Plans were drawn up for the construction of a 600-yard bank of stone spanning from Bincleaves and a line of dolphins, structures of iron and timber, between which boom defences "strong enough to resist the onslaught of a torpedo boat" would be installed. Construction of these temporary measures were carried out in 1894-96. From Bincleaves Groyne to the Breakwater Fort, the dolphins were designated F, F1, F2, F3, C, B, B1, B2, E, E1, E2 and A.
A few of the twelve dolphins were each fortified with two QF 12-pounder naval guns and a Maxim machine gun for defence against torpedo boat attack. These fortified dolphins each had a building which provided accommodation for the gun crews (made up of five men and one officer). There was also storage space for the guns themselves, which were dismounted and placed inside when not in use, as well as their ammunition. The original intention was to arm the dolphins with twenty-four QF 6-pounder guns but this was altered in 1894 to ten QF 12-pounders. Meanwhile, the same period saw Portland's coastal defences modernised and expanded. The Inner Pier Head Fort was modernised in 1897-99 to accommodate two QF guns and a Maxim gun, and the Breakwater Fort also received two QF guns in 1898. New batteries were built on land; Blacknor (1900-02) and Upton (1901-03) providing additional protection over the western and eastern approaches to Portland. All of the unarmed dolphins held the hauling gear for the boom defences and the jetty of the Breakwater Fort was modified to hold hauling gear too.
The scheme for the new breakwaters received parliamentary approval in 1895 through the Naval Works Acts of 1895-96 and preliminary work began at the end of 1895. The new breakwaters were constructed from 1896 in accordance with the positions of the dolphins, with hopper barges being used to drop the stone in place within the harbour. Apart from some further work on the three pier heads, which continued into 1905, the completion of the breakwaters was announced in the Naval Estimates of 1904-05.
Establishment and use of Pier Head Batteries (1904-1939)
While the new breakwaters and boom defences spanning the entrances to the harbour greatly diminished Portland's vulnerability to torpedo attack, the three pier heads were also fortified to provide additional protection. "A" Head was built opposite the Breakwater Fort, overlooking the east ship channel, and "B" and "C" Heads faced opposite one another at the north ship channel. Work on fortifying the pier heads began in November 1904 and was completed in February 1905 for a cost of £1,572. Each head was armed with two QF 12-pounder guns and a Maxim gun.
Shelters (with bunks) and ablutions were provided in buildings on the breakwater arms alongside each battery, while the magazine levels directly below the heads provided stores for cartridges and shells, along with another shelter. The magazines of B and C Head were accessed by a hatch with an iron ladder and A Head's was accessed by a spiral staircase underneath the Breakwater Lighthouse. Each head had an additional hatch with a davit for hoisting up the ammunition. The three batteries worked in conjunction with a number of defence electric lights (DELs). By 1905, two fixed lights were located on the middle of the northern breakwater, three fixed lights at the Breakwater Fort and two concentrated moveable lights on the outer breakwater.
The original armament arrangement of the three batteries proved short-lived as proposals were soon made for the installation of two BL 6-inch Mark VII guns, one each at B and C Heads. In 1905, the War Office proposed installing four of these guns at the Breakwater Fort, two on the roof and two at original gun floor level. Those intended for the roof were installed in 1909, but it was decided that the other two should be sited at B and C Heads, and plans to accommodate them there were drawn up in 1907. It was proposed to construct each new BL gun emplacement over an existing QF one. To accommodate the loss of the two QF positions, four new emplacements would be built on the breakwaters adjacent to the heads, two at B and two at C. An alternative drawing for the proposed BL gun emplacement at B Head suggested building it adjacent to the pier head, leaving the existing QF positions unaltered.
The work was carried out in 1910 and the two BL guns were subsequently installed. The gun installed at C Head in 1911 came from Upton Battery; it was taken from the fort by traction engine then transported by barge to C Head. The BL gun emplacement at B Head was built over the right QF emplacement and the one at C Head built over the left QF emplacement. No new QF emplacements were built at C Head; instead four were built along the breakwater adjacent to B Head. With the installation of the BL guns, the two QF guns at C Head were moved to B Head. As part of the upgrades to the batteries, new shelters and other ancillary buildings were also erected on the breakwaters, and magazines converted from existing buildings to be closer to the guns. The main shelter for B Head, with ablutions and cookhouse, was built to accommodate three officers and 66 men.
At the beginning of World War I, the armament of the batteries remained as two QF guns at A Head, one BL gun at C Head, and one BL and four QF guns at B Head. One of the QF guns at B Head was temporarily withdrawn soon after and the 6-inch gun was mounted in reserve by 1919. By 1922, the BL gun had returned to B Head, but the guns and carriages across the three batteries were all classed as being in "care and maintenance". The BL gun at C Head was removed and sent to the Drill Hall in 1924. In 1927, it was recommended that all guns, except for two QF guns at B Head, be removed. This was subsequently carried out, leaving the harbour's QF gun defence as two at B Head and two on the Breakwater Fort's jetty. The recommended 6-pounder anti-C.M.B. guns, one each for A and C Heads, were never mounted. In 1934, the two guns at B Head were moved to C Head and the two on the Breakwater Jetty were removed after this time. Defence electric lights operating during this period included two at C Head and four at the Breakwater Fort.
Use of batteries in World War II (1939-1945)
With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the batteries were manned by the Dorsetshire Heavy Regiment RA (TA), with personnel of the Dorset Fortress RE (TA) responsible for manning the searchlights and engine rooms on the northern breakwater (there were no searchlights on the north-eastern one). In July 1940, the Dorsetshire Heavy Regiment was reorganised as 522nd (Dorsetshire) Coast Regiment RA, leaving A and B Heads and the north-eastern breakwater to be manned by 106 Coast Battery, and C Head and the northern breakwater by 107 Coast Battery.
During 1940, the Royal Engineers undertook construction work on the breakwaters, reconstructing some of the existing buildings and adding new ones which primarily provided accommodation and associated facilities. The same year saw two QF 12-pounder guns and a Bofors 40mm gun installed at A Head. Between 1940-42, new fixed lights, by then known as coast artillery searchlights (CASLs), were installed: three at B Head, two on the north-eastern breakwater and two at A Head. These were housed in new emplacements, most of which were constructed alongside new engine rooms to house the generators. The northern breakwater also retained two fixed lights from before the war and the Breakwater Fort had two fighting lights.
In addition to the boom defences, which were manned by a small detachment of naval and civilian personnel, the north and east ship channels were protected by observation minefields, and these were in place between 1941-42, with control stations at A and B Heads. Other anti-invasion measures included naval flamethrowers with Merlin engines at all three heads and later the installation of depth charge throwers. The two ship channels were also protected by torpedo firing positions. The north channel was protected by two positions at the long range on the northern breakwater and three at B Head, while the east channel had three at A Head and two at the Whitehead range on the north-eastern breakwater.
Proposals were made in 1940 to replace the QF 12-pounder guns at A and C Heads with two QF twin 6-pounder guns. Plans were drawn up in 1941 for the construction of their emplacements, one at A Head and one at B Head, with a director sight tower to be built directly behind the guns. They were to be worked in conjunction with eight searchlights, three each at A and B Heads and two at the middle of the north-eastern breakwater. The emplacements were built in 1944 but the guns were not installed until after the war.
In 1944, C Head was recorded as having an array of other weaponry in addition to its QF guns, including two Bofors guns, two Bren light machine guns, one Lewis light machine gun, one Hotchkiss gun, one twin M2 Browning gun, one 29mm Spigot Mortar and a 3-inch Harvey Projector. In 1945, the batteries were reduced to care and maintenance, while some of the subsidiary equipment at C Head was removed, leaving its two QF guns and searchlights.
Post war use and decommissioning (1945-1956)
During the final years of their use, the Pier Head Batteries served as practice batteries for the territorial army. In 1948, the QF 12-pounder guns at A and C Heads were fitted with new barrels. They were replaced in December 1953 when the two proposed QF twin 6-pounder guns were finally installed at A and B Heads. The work was carried out by 245 Armament Battery RA, with the new guns arriving by boat from Portsmouth. The northern breakwater was no longer armed, but retained its two searchlights which were operated from B Head. The UK's coastal defences were decommissioned in 1956, including those at Portland, and the guns of the Pier Head Batteries were removed around this time.
Surviving features
Various aspects of the three batteries survive although many of the earlier buildings have been demolished or replaced with later buildings. Other associated military structures across the northern and north-eastern breakwaters survive too.
- A Head retains its two original QF emplacements. Survivals on the adjacent section of breakwater spanning from A Head include the 1944 QF emplacement, its director sight tower, magazine and shelter. One engine room and two CASL emplacements from World War II also survive. Three engine rooms and numerous accommodation buildings from the same period have been demolished.
- The middle region of the north-eastern breakwater retains some features including one CASL emplacement. One CASL emplacement, some accommodation buildings, a fuel store and engine room have been demolished.
- B Head's original gun positions have been built on (and possibly destroyed), but the battery command post for the 6-inch BL gun survives at the centre of the head. A World War II CASL emplacement remains on the head too. The four QF positions established in 1910 along the adjacent stretch of breakwater remain in place, as does the 1944 QF emplacement, its director sight tower and magazine. Other World War II survivals are three engine rooms and two further CASL emplacements. Spanning further eastwards from these is a World War II accommodation block and another engine room.
- C Head retains its BL gun emplacement and associated battery command post, along with the original right-side QF emplacement. Most of the accommodation and other buildings along the adjacent stretch of breakwater have been demolished. There are some survivals further along the arm towards Weymouth, including a Bofors emplacement with adjoining section for a predictor, and two DEL/CASL emplacements of c. 1905 date. There is a surviving group of buildings beyond these with c. 1905 origins and included a former engine room, oil store and accommodation.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Bincleaves groyne and the north-eastern breakwater, Portland - website page
2) Ordnance Survey - various maps including 1903, 1929 and 1958
3) Pastscape - New Breakwater A Pier Head - website page
4) Pastscape - New Breakwater B Pier Head - website page
5) Pastscape - New Breakwater C Pier Head - website page
6) Portland Harbour and its Defences Report - anonymous author - undated - pages 73-74, 76, 81-85
7) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles - website page
8) The Coastal Defences of Portland and Weymouth - E. A. Andrews and M. L. Pinsent - 1981 - supplement to the journal Fort (Fortress Study Group) - report
9) The National Archives - H M Dockyard, Portland: Breakwater. B Pierhead - WORK 41/607 - declassified plan - 1906 - website page
10) The National Archives - H M Dockyard, Portland: Breakwater Fort. Head 'A' - WORK 41/63 - declassified plan - 1906 - website page
11) The National Archives - H M Dockyard, Portland: Breakwater Fort. Head 'B' - WORK 41/65 - declassified plan - 1906 - website page
12) The National Archives - H M Dockyard, Portland: Breakwater Fort. Head 'C' - WORK 41/66 - declassified plan - 1906 - website page
13) The National Archives - Portland: North Eastern Breakwater - WO 192/300 - fort record book - 1939-57 - website page
14) The National Archives - Weymouth: 'C' Pier Head - WO 192/310 - fort record book - 1913-54 - website page
15) The National Archives - Weymouth and Portland Area: Portland Breakwater: "A", "B" and "C" Pierheads - WO 78/5077 - declassified plans and drawings - 1906, 1911, 1915, 1941 - website page
16) The National Archives - Weymouth and Portland Area: Portland Breakwater: "B" and "C" Pierheads - WO 78/5080 - declassified drawings - 1908-10, 1912 - website page
17) The Portland Naval Base, Dorset K/428 - Keystone (Historic Buildings Consultants) - Volumes 1 and 2 - 1993 - report
18) The Rise and Fall of Portland Naval Base 1845-1995 - Geoffrey Carter - 1998 - report
Gallery
These images can be enlarged by clicking on them. Some images have information attached to them, and to view this you can either enlarge the image or hover the mouse over each thumbnail.
Plans
A selection of plans covering the three Pier Head Batteries, based on War Office drawings, dated 1906 (National Archives - Ref: WO 78/5077 and WORK 41). The plans can be enlarged by clicking on them.
Maps
A Pier Head
B Pier Head
C Pier Head