Been doing a bit of research on this area lately (not that there is much info out there) so decided to pop along for a look see yesterday evening.
Especially as the MOD have sold off the land to developers.
http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/essex/southend+on+sea
www.coalhousefort-gallery.com
Held the most info.
Heavy Quick-Firing Battery,now disused.1898, incorporating part of earlier battery,
extended during construction and completed 1900. Mass concrete outer walls in 1:3
Portland cement with broken stone and sand; core of brick burrs. 4 semi-circular
bastions with projecting parapet. Neatly shuttered in horizontal courses. Twin towers
of ammunition hoist and single storey structures attached to rear. An early concrete
building used for training in methods of firing from an elevated position; the hoist
towers also used for training in fire-fighting. The hoist room retains part of the
curved ceiling from an earlier battery, possible C.1850.
Light Quick-Firing Battery, now disused, former casemates, 1870s, remodelled early
1890s as Light Quick-Firing Battery. Stock brick with iron frame, C20 rendering to
upper part. 2 chambers set askew. Right part: massive piers with black brick quoins
flanking iron frame of 3 bays. Wooden door frame (door missing) between 2 upright
girders supporting wall plate. Iron-clad barrel-vaulted roof with mantle rail above
blocked casemate. Part of plank floor survives. Left part: Truncated and re-fronted
in yellow brick with four-course relieving arch above small wooden door frame. Buttresses
at left corner have traces of high brick arches, now demolished. Three-bay barrel-vaulted
roof with brick infill; C20 brick partition. Interesting late example of a casemate
and unique because referred to as an'experimental casemate'in contemporary documents.
HQF Battery: consisting of 2x12lb quickfiring guns and 2x6" breech loading guns mounted on the roof of this monster with the magazine underneath.
This thing has to easily be 40ft tall.
LQF Experimental Emplacement: unfortunately much of the seaward facing detail on this structure has been obscured with the new sea wall
High Angle Fire Emplacement: single 9.2" Breech Loading gun.
Gun Control room.
with what im assuming to be a magazine bricked up long ago.......
.....but with an i beam and a very rusty ring
still surviving.
CASL: Coastal Artillery Search Lights x2.
Both the HQF and LQF batteries are Grade 2 listed but the High Angle isnt, there was another High Angle emplacement next to this one but it has been "Landscaped over", ariel photographs show other structures and sites nearby but the majority have been destroyed and the ground landscaped, this area will soon be linked to existing walking and cycling routes from Southend on sea.
Cptpies- the only DoB Ref i can find for this stretch is S0013604 which seems to equate to the LQF on Google Earth but is actually stated as being the HQF emplacement.
LQF is at TQ9348584039
HQF is at TQ9366484242
High Angle is at TQ 9353884097
CASL is at TQ 9379284367
Hope these make it easier to update.
Especially as the MOD have sold off the land to developers. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/essex/southend+on+sea
www.coalhousefort-gallery.com
Held the most info.
Heavy Quick-Firing Battery,now disused.1898, incorporating part of earlier battery,
extended during construction and completed 1900. Mass concrete outer walls in 1:3
Portland cement with broken stone and sand; core of brick burrs. 4 semi-circular
bastions with projecting parapet. Neatly shuttered in horizontal courses. Twin towers
of ammunition hoist and single storey structures attached to rear. An early concrete
building used for training in methods of firing from an elevated position; the hoist
towers also used for training in fire-fighting. The hoist room retains part of the
curved ceiling from an earlier battery, possible C.1850.
Light Quick-Firing Battery, now disused, former casemates, 1870s, remodelled early
1890s as Light Quick-Firing Battery. Stock brick with iron frame, C20 rendering to
upper part. 2 chambers set askew. Right part: massive piers with black brick quoins
flanking iron frame of 3 bays. Wooden door frame (door missing) between 2 upright
girders supporting wall plate. Iron-clad barrel-vaulted roof with mantle rail above
blocked casemate. Part of plank floor survives. Left part: Truncated and re-fronted
in yellow brick with four-course relieving arch above small wooden door frame. Buttresses
at left corner have traces of high brick arches, now demolished. Three-bay barrel-vaulted
roof with brick infill; C20 brick partition. Interesting late example of a casemate
and unique because referred to as an'experimental casemate'in contemporary documents.
HQF Battery: consisting of 2x12lb quickfiring guns and 2x6" breech loading guns mounted on the roof of this monster with the magazine underneath.
This thing has to easily be 40ft tall.
LQF Experimental Emplacement: unfortunately much of the seaward facing detail on this structure has been obscured with the new sea wall
High Angle Fire Emplacement: single 9.2" Breech Loading gun.
Gun Control room.
with what im assuming to be a magazine bricked up long ago.......
.....but with an i beam and a very rusty ring
still surviving.
CASL: Coastal Artillery Search Lights x2.
Both the HQF and LQF batteries are Grade 2 listed but the High Angle isnt, there was another High Angle emplacement next to this one but it has been "Landscaped over", ariel photographs show other structures and sites nearby but the majority have been destroyed and the ground landscaped, this area will soon be linked to existing walking and cycling routes from Southend on sea.
Cptpies- the only DoB Ref i can find for this stretch is S0013604 which seems to equate to the LQF on Google Earth but is actually stated as being the HQF emplacement.
LQF is at TQ9348584039
HQF is at TQ9366484242
High Angle is at TQ 9353884097
CASL is at TQ 9379284367
Hope these make it easier to update.
