Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

20th century coastal battery in Sheerness for 9.2" guns. Demolished in 1993 to make way for a supermarket.

Monument Types

• COASTAL BATTERY (Built 1906, decommissioned 1927,demolished 1993, Modern - 1906 AD to 1993 AD)
• SIGNAL STATION (Possible site of, Modern - 1914 AD? to 1918 AD?)

Full description

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The Ravelin Battery was an early 20th century coastal battery which formerly stood in a disused caravan site in Sheerness, NGR TQ 918 752.

The RCHME examined the site following a request from English Heritage. The site was one of only a small number of coastal batteries built for 9.2 inch guns. Shortly after the completion of the survey the battery was totally demolished to make way for a new superstore. Plans for the battery are dated 1905, but were authorised in 1906, the probable construction date.

The battery was armed with two 9.2 inch breech loading guns in barbette mountings and equipped with three 'fighting lights'. It would have been manned by the Kent Royal Garrison Artillery Territorial Force. Decommissioned probably in the 1920s, perhaps soon after 1927. An anti-aircraft battery was sited here during the Second World War. [See archive report for details]. (1-8). Additional references (9,10 & 14). Photographs (11-13).

An Admiralty order ADM137/4680 from 1917 confirms the use of wireless equipped aircraft in a spotting capacity for coastal gun batteries. This identifies Ravelin Battery as one of the ground receiving stations. (14)

Oxford Archaeological South, 2016, First World War Wireless Stations in England. (Bibliographic reference). SKE31551.

<1> RCHME, The Ravelin Battery, Sheerness, Kent: A survey by the RCHME, April 1993, Jane Kenney RCHME Field Investigation, April 1993, Page Nos. 1-2 (Unpublished document). SKE6402.

<2> RCHME: The Ravelin Battery, Sheerness, Kent (Collection). SKE6485.

<3> Ravelin Battery: the battery/survey (Graphic material). SKE6392.

<4> Ravelin Battery: details of features/survey + elevations + sections (Graphic material). SKE6401.

<5> Ravelin Battery: details of features/ elevations + profiles (Graphic material). SKE6400.

<6> Ravelin Battery: details of features/elevations (Graphic material). SKE6399.

<7> Ravelin Battery: overlay showing recesses and feature numbers/overlay (Graphic material). SKE6396.

<8> Ravelin Battery: detail of gun emplacements/survey (Graphic material). SKE6398.

<10> 1942, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9997.

<11> 1942, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9993.

<12> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9810.

<13> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments in England, 1995, Sheerness: The Dockyard, Defences and Blue Town (Unpublished document). SWX6974.

Sources and further reading

Related records