Gloucester HAA Battery, Blyth - May 2008

Visited with Sausage. I drive past this WW2 anti-aircraft battery often but this is the first time I've had a proper walk round the site.
Its proving difficult to find any history on the place unfortunately.
As I aint a military buff, any info on what the various structures are would be great


















Any idea what this is?









Thanks!

The triangle is the triangulation point where the predictor would have sat. The predictor worked out the path of the planes and thus where to put the shells.

Sat next to it would have been a rangefinder, which pretty much does what it's name suggests

This site wasn't actually armed with guns until 1944, when it was allocated 4 3.7" static AA guns presumably for defence against V2 rockets.As far as I'm aware V2 rockets never made it that far north, suggesting this HAA never actually saw active service.

Having said that the large concrete building looks post war to me suggesting this site MAY have been converted to a cold war era HAA, although this is pure speculation.

This was a nice day out. So many people pass this site and yet fail to notice it. Although it has been recorded on another forum I thought it best that we did it for Derelict Places.

An original fuse box.



A generator mount?



Very ornate grill.



One of the horses which hassled us.



Many thanks to BigLoada for providing the transport on the day.

Cheers for the info Krela, I like knowing what kind of guns these places used. And thats interesting about the prediction device too. I didn't know about such things.

BigLoada said:

... And thats interesting about the prediction device too. I didn't know about such things.

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Me neither! Not heard about or seen one before. Interesting stuff! Good work guys.

Thanks Foxylady. There are other "hidden gems" near to this site which we need to explore in more detail. I think a return visit is needed soon.

Sausage said:

Thanks Foxylady. There are other "hidden gems" near to this site which we need to explore in more detail. I think a return visit is needed soon.

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Are there??

I didnt know that and I was with you! You probably did mention it but I've forgotten, I'll have to get the info off you on our next trip.

Busy bees you guys, nice pics of place, sorry i couldn't make it.

BarneySchwarzenegger said:

Busy bees you guys, nice pics of place, sorry i couldn't make it.

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There's something brewing for Saturday if you fancy it?? PM myself or BigLoada for more info if you're interested.

This is my understanding of the layout of this battery. It is slightly unusual in that it seems to have two main control bunkers, the one nearest the gunpits probably being the earlier one, and the one in the middle probably replacing it when the two mobile gun pits were added.

The more I look at it the more I think this was predominantly a cold war era HAA.

The above is based purely on experience, not on any definite knowledge

Very interesting krela. The central control bunker was burnt out and we could see "lattice work" on the walls which seemed to have held wood panneling? That building was divided by a wall but we were unable to gain entry because the neighbours were watching from the nearby farm! As I looked at the control buildings they seemed to have several pipes (about 3" diameter) exiting the floorspace outside and "heading" for the ground. I guess these may have been for wires or something? I did also notice that any bricks which were used came from nearby collierys. A local has told me the site was first and second world war era and eventually stood down in 1963. He claimed that after that date (1964) the site began to show on OS maps. He also said that the land remained in ministry hands until about 1982. I don't know how much of this is true but I do know (BigLoada wasn't listening!) that several air-raid shelters are buried nearby. They have been hidden but I know of their exact location.

I never knew this existed, where abouts in Blyth is this?

Nice to see that you have done the other buildings and not just the WW1 battery on the sea front. Great stuff guys.

Vintage said:

I never knew this existed, where abouts in Blyth is this?

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Its just on the Links Road on the coast at Blyth. Here:

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=55.10003&lon=-1.499023&z=17.6&r=0&src=msl

Thanks Jonney

BigLoada said:

Its just on the Links Road on the coast at Blyth. Here:

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=55.10003&lon=-1.499023&z=17.6&r=0&src=msl

Thanks Jonney

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Oh yeah bloody hell. to me passing they just look like small barns, Im sure that field used to have pigs on it and i was told they were pig barns when i was younger haha!


Anyone been to the ww1/2 bomb shelter on broadyway roundabout?.. Always seen it but i've never been inside it before!


Also does anyone know how often that FlashEarth is updated? Having a look around Blyth i've noticed My house isn't built, My estate got built 6-7 years ago, Blyth Spartans new stand isn't erected, The caravan park is still there, Still being built on but was clear for 4 years, the Wesley school is still there, (demolished awhile back) and my old first school hasn't got the new sports hall built, - 9 years ago! and theres houses being built behind my old house, They were built and finished 12 years ago!

The concrete structure is certainly cold war, there is an identical one at Elvaston just outside Derby. I haven't got my books with me at the moment but the guns were radar controlled and fired electronically from the bunker. They were also automatically reloaded. Can't think of the name of the system just now but Yellow River was the radar part of it.

I'd say it's had some post war alterations done too, That looks like an egine house on the outside of one emplacement, which was a cold war adaptation.

DigitalNoise said:

I'd say it's had some post war alterations done too, That looks like an egine house on the outside of one emplacement, which was a cold war adaptation.

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Nah they're crew shelters, contemporary with a lot of c1943 built HAAs.

It was definitely used in the cold war era IMO though.

Vintage said:

Oh yeah bloody hell. to me passing they just look like small barns, Im sure that field used to have pigs on it and i was told they were pig barns when i was younger haha!


Anyone been to the ww1/2 bomb shelter on broadyway roundabout?.. Always seen it but i've never been inside it before!

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Its a WW2 decontamination centre mate. Currently used by the local Army Cadets I think.

Ya now iv lived here my hole life and never been to this site, mind you im allergic to horses thats why. In my deffence.