Verne High Angle Battery
The Verne High Angle Battery, also known as the Verne Quarry Battery, is a former gun battery of late 19th century origin south of the Verne Citadel. Constructed in 1890-95, the battery was built to protect Portland Harbour and its naval establishments.
The battery was decommissioned in 1906 and later became a scheduled monument in 1973 (as part of the Verne Citadel's designation). It remains protected to date under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and also became a Grade II listed monument in May 1993. The best preserved of its type in the UK, the battery is now a tourist attraction and forms part of the Verne Common Local Nature Reserve, which was established in 2007.
History
The concept of high angle batteries originated in the 1880s as a solution to the increasingly stronger armour that battleships were being fitted with. Rather than try to penetrate the thick armour sides, high angle batteries allowed shells to be dropped down on the more vulnerable upper decks of enemy vessels, where far greater damage could be inflicted. With most rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns being considered obsolete by this time, the 9-inch 12-ton variety of RML was selected as the gun which would be specifically adapted to fire at a "high angle". After a series of trials from 1884, the encouraging results led to the construction of a small number of high angle batteries to defend important strategic locations, including Portland, Plymouth and the Isle of Wight.
The chosen site for the guns was approximately 150 metres south of citadel within a disused section of the Admiralty Quarries. Construction of the new battery commenced in August 1890 and was declared complete in September 1895 for a cost of £4,007. While local builders Messrs Jesty and Baker were the main contractors, some savings were made through the partial use of convict labour. The Royal Engineers were also involved in the battery's planning and construction.
The original battery was designed with six emplacements. Four of the guns were installed at the time of the battery's completion and another two were hauled to the site by traction engine in October 1898. There were two magazines, one at each end, which were roofed with earth and grass for protection against enemy fire. The magazine rooms could hold up to 312 cylinders each and the shell stores up to 208 shells each. A tramway system was installed to transport the ammunition to and from the magazines and guns, and the soldiers who operated the battery were accommodated within the citadel. The battery was surrounded by an unclimbable steel fence.
Being sited down in a former quarry, the battery was designed to be hidden from the view of passing enemy ships. The guns were installed on mounts at 70 degrees and could move at an all-round 360 degrees. They were able to hit a moving target at a maximum range of approximately 5.6 miles. To direct the guns to their targets, position finding cells were built to house horizontal range finders, known as Watkin Position Finders, which were used to determine the bearing and range of an enemy vessel. Two cells were built on the ramparts of the Verne Citadel, as was the battery's command post, and a further four cells were later built at East Cliff.
The battery was remodeled between January 1898 and September 1899 for a cost of £5,504. The work involved the construction of a bombproof troop shelter at the centre of the battery complex, behind the emplacements, and two store buildings on its western side. Two additional emplacements were also added on the flanks, but no guns were ever installed there and they were soon used to house troop and officer latrines instead. Other buildings at the battery included a telephone room (located to the west of the two store buildings) and a drug (heavy carts for moving gun barrels) shed (now demolished).
As maritime warfare developed with the rising use of smaller craft like torpedo boats, the battery's guns were far less likely to score a hit and the importance of their defensive role deteriorated. The guns continued to remain operational until 1906. That year, Major Dalton had carried out an inspection of the battery and commented that it would be a pity to remove the guns. However, the recommendations of the Owen Committee were soon followed and the battery was decommissioned in 1907. The six guns remained in place until 1910, when they were dismounted and sold to a contractor, who took them away after breaking them up using dynamite.
Modern use as a tourist attraction
The Verne Citadel's military use came to an end in 1948, with the southern region being transformed into HM Prison The Verne. With the battery now disused, it became a tourist attraction and remains the best preserved battery of its type in the United Kingdom. The grassy embankments at the site have also become home to an array of wildlife.
By the 1980s, the derelict battery had suffered from the effects of time and vandalism, resulting in a restoration and conservation project being carried out in 1984-95 by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, with the assistance of Manpower Services. Various attempts have been made over the years by the council to seal off the magazines and their tunnels, but continuous efforts to break into them have caused them to remain open for the public to explore. The magazines have gained the name "Ghost Tunnels" to locals, with paranormal activity having been recorded there.
The battery itself remains intact today, but is a target of vandalism, mainly graffiti, and has received little care and attention in recent years. In 2022, it was added to Historic England's "Heritage at Risk" register. The organisation has noted the ongoing erosion of the structures and buildings, excessive weed growth and the theft of stonework, as well as vandalism and graffiti. Dorset Council have announced their intention to work with other parties and obtain funding to carry out a project which would include preserving the battery, providing a new interpretation scheme and conserving the area's ecology.
At East Cliff, three of the four position finding cells survive, although they have lost their roofs and other parts of their structure. The fourth cell, at the northernmost end, was hit by a bomb during World War II and is now marked by a depressed area and a small amount of surviving rubble. The cells are on public land and provide a viewpoint across Portland Harbour, as well as A and B Batteries of East Weare Batteries below.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society - Proceedings - Volume 106 - 1984 - report
2) Exploring Portland - New Ground, Tillycombe and Kingsbarrow - Geoff Kirby - website page
3) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - The Citadel, Disused Battery Approximately 150 Metres South East South of South Entrance - website page
4) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - The Verne Citadel - website page
5) Pastscape - Verne Quarry High Angle Battery - website page
6) Portland Harbour and its Defences Report - anonymous author - undated - page 37
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 - Weymouth/Portland - record plan of Verne Quarry Battery - WO 78/4159 - declassified plans and drawings - 1904 - website page
10) Victorian Forts - High angle fire mountings and batteries - website page
11) Web Archive: The Heritage Coast (cyberport.co.uk) - Dorset's Coastal Defences - High Angle: First and Second Stage - archived from the original in 2006 - website page
The battery was decommissioned in 1906 and later became a scheduled monument in 1973 (as part of the Verne Citadel's designation). It remains protected to date under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and also became a Grade II listed monument in May 1993. The best preserved of its type in the UK, the battery is now a tourist attraction and forms part of the Verne Common Local Nature Reserve, which was established in 2007.
History
The concept of high angle batteries originated in the 1880s as a solution to the increasingly stronger armour that battleships were being fitted with. Rather than try to penetrate the thick armour sides, high angle batteries allowed shells to be dropped down on the more vulnerable upper decks of enemy vessels, where far greater damage could be inflicted. With most rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns being considered obsolete by this time, the 9-inch 12-ton variety of RML was selected as the gun which would be specifically adapted to fire at a "high angle". After a series of trials from 1884, the encouraging results led to the construction of a small number of high angle batteries to defend important strategic locations, including Portland, Plymouth and the Isle of Wight.
The chosen site for the guns was approximately 150 metres south of citadel within a disused section of the Admiralty Quarries. Construction of the new battery commenced in August 1890 and was declared complete in September 1895 for a cost of £4,007. While local builders Messrs Jesty and Baker were the main contractors, some savings were made through the partial use of convict labour. The Royal Engineers were also involved in the battery's planning and construction.
The original battery was designed with six emplacements. Four of the guns were installed at the time of the battery's completion and another two were hauled to the site by traction engine in October 1898. There were two magazines, one at each end, which were roofed with earth and grass for protection against enemy fire. The magazine rooms could hold up to 312 cylinders each and the shell stores up to 208 shells each. A tramway system was installed to transport the ammunition to and from the magazines and guns, and the soldiers who operated the battery were accommodated within the citadel. The battery was surrounded by an unclimbable steel fence.
Being sited down in a former quarry, the battery was designed to be hidden from the view of passing enemy ships. The guns were installed on mounts at 70 degrees and could move at an all-round 360 degrees. They were able to hit a moving target at a maximum range of approximately 5.6 miles. To direct the guns to their targets, position finding cells were built to house horizontal range finders, known as Watkin Position Finders, which were used to determine the bearing and range of an enemy vessel. Two cells were built on the ramparts of the Verne Citadel, as was the battery's command post, and a further four cells were later built at East Cliff.
The battery was remodeled between January 1898 and September 1899 for a cost of £5,504. The work involved the construction of a bombproof troop shelter at the centre of the battery complex, behind the emplacements, and two store buildings on its western side. Two additional emplacements were also added on the flanks, but no guns were ever installed there and they were soon used to house troop and officer latrines instead. Other buildings at the battery included a telephone room (located to the west of the two store buildings) and a drug (heavy carts for moving gun barrels) shed (now demolished).
As maritime warfare developed with the rising use of smaller craft like torpedo boats, the battery's guns were far less likely to score a hit and the importance of their defensive role deteriorated. The guns continued to remain operational until 1906. That year, Major Dalton had carried out an inspection of the battery and commented that it would be a pity to remove the guns. However, the recommendations of the Owen Committee were soon followed and the battery was decommissioned in 1907. The six guns remained in place until 1910, when they were dismounted and sold to a contractor, who took them away after breaking them up using dynamite.
Modern use as a tourist attraction
The Verne Citadel's military use came to an end in 1948, with the southern region being transformed into HM Prison The Verne. With the battery now disused, it became a tourist attraction and remains the best preserved battery of its type in the United Kingdom. The grassy embankments at the site have also become home to an array of wildlife.
By the 1980s, the derelict battery had suffered from the effects of time and vandalism, resulting in a restoration and conservation project being carried out in 1984-95 by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, with the assistance of Manpower Services. Various attempts have been made over the years by the council to seal off the magazines and their tunnels, but continuous efforts to break into them have caused them to remain open for the public to explore. The magazines have gained the name "Ghost Tunnels" to locals, with paranormal activity having been recorded there.
The battery itself remains intact today, but is a target of vandalism, mainly graffiti, and has received little care and attention in recent years. In 2022, it was added to Historic England's "Heritage at Risk" register. The organisation has noted the ongoing erosion of the structures and buildings, excessive weed growth and the theft of stonework, as well as vandalism and graffiti. Dorset Council have announced their intention to work with other parties and obtain funding to carry out a project which would include preserving the battery, providing a new interpretation scheme and conserving the area's ecology.
At East Cliff, three of the four position finding cells survive, although they have lost their roofs and other parts of their structure. The fourth cell, at the northernmost end, was hit by a bomb during World War II and is now marked by a depressed area and a small amount of surviving rubble. The cells are on public land and provide a viewpoint across Portland Harbour, as well as A and B Batteries of East Weare Batteries below.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society - Proceedings - Volume 106 - 1984 - report
2) Exploring Portland - New Ground, Tillycombe and Kingsbarrow - Geoff Kirby - website page
3) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - The Citadel, Disused Battery Approximately 150 Metres South East South of South Entrance - website page
4) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - The Verne Citadel - website page
5) Pastscape - Verne Quarry High Angle Battery - website page
6) Portland Harbour and its Defences Report - anonymous author - undated - page 37
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 - Weymouth/Portland - record plan of Verne Quarry Battery - WO 78/4159 - declassified plans and drawings - 1904 - website page
10) Victorian Forts - High angle fire mountings and batteries - website page
11) Web Archive: The Heritage Coast (cyberport.co.uk) - Dorset's Coastal Defences - High Angle: First and Second Stage - archived from the original in 2006 - website page
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.
Historical photographs
1904 plan of Verne High Angle Battery
A plan of the Verne High Angle Battery, based on War Office drawings, dated 1904 (National Archives - Ref: WO 78/4159). It can be enlarged by clicking on it.
