This site often gets overlooked when people visit the area, prefering to go to coalhouse fort or east tilbury battery.
Bowater afrm was the only one of the tilbury triangle,(coalhouse, eas tilbury and here) to have fired ashot in anger.
The original battery consisted of four 4.5 inch guns, another four gun pits were later added housing 5.25 inch guns,these were of a much later design and and were all controled and fired from a command post, each of the later gunpits has an engine room attached to it.
The site was still in MOD hands until 1955 when it was returned to the farmer.
Bowater farm is quite unique in that it has a very good example of a wartime battery alongside a much later development.
One of the early gunpits
Early gun control post
The only magazine on site
One of the later gunpits wich held the 5.25 inch guns
In the middle of these pits were these raised gun mounts, they were approx four feet tall with an opening in each one
Each of these pits had an attached engine room, these would have housed a generator.
some of the internal fittings in the generator room
If you plan on visiting the site please first knock at the farm house near the entrance and ask permission.
Dave
Bowater afrm was the only one of the tilbury triangle,(coalhouse, eas tilbury and here) to have fired ashot in anger.
The original battery consisted of four 4.5 inch guns, another four gun pits were later added housing 5.25 inch guns,these were of a much later design and and were all controled and fired from a command post, each of the later gunpits has an engine room attached to it.
The site was still in MOD hands until 1955 when it was returned to the farmer.
Bowater farm is quite unique in that it has a very good example of a wartime battery alongside a much later development.
One of the early gunpits
Early gun control post
The only magazine on site
One of the later gunpits wich held the 5.25 inch guns
In the middle of these pits were these raised gun mounts, they were approx four feet tall with an opening in each one
Each of these pits had an attached engine room, these would have housed a generator.
some of the internal fittings in the generator room
If you plan on visiting the site please first knock at the farm house near the entrance and ask permission.
Dave