Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Knuckle Battery is situated at the eastern end of the breakwater at Dover Harbour, and was constructed in the period 1914-1916 forming part of the defences of the Harbour and also possible site of boom defence. Abandoned probably around 1956 and largely demolished. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on aailable information)

Monument Types

• BARRACKS (Disused, Modern - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)
• BATTERY (Disused, Modern - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)
• CASEMATE (Disused, Modern - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)
• GUN EMPLACEMENT (Disused, Modern - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)
• MAGAZINE (Disused, Modern - 1914 AD to 1945 AD?)

Full description

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Knuckle Battery is situated at the eastern end of the breakwater at Dover Harbour, and was constructed in the period 1914-1916. The original intention was to mount 3 x 12pdr guns for defence of the eastern entrance to the Harbour, but in November 1917, two 4" QF Mk.V were installed instead. A Barr & Stroud rangefinder was mounted in December 1919. Having seen no action on WWI the guns were stripped in 1920, and were declared obsolete in May 1930. They were sold as scrap to George Slater Ltd who had removed them totally from the battery site by September 1930. The Barr & Stroud rangefinder was sent on loan to the Coast Artillery School, Shoeburyness, in March 1921. In the first year of WWII, Knuckle Battery was manned only by Royal Engineers searchlight operators, but in September 1940 two 4" Mk.VII guns on on P.II* mountings were installed, manned initially by 418 Coast Battery who were sent to Broadstairs in July 1941 and replaced by 408 Coast Battery. 418 returned to Knuckle Battery in October 1941. The Battery became non-operational and was reduced to Care and Maintenance on 23rd December 1943, only a few months after a 40mm Bofors had arrived to add to the Brens used for air defence.

The layout of the battery is still quite clear today, with the pillbox above the guardroom defending the western perimeter dominating the approach from the breakwater. Knuckle Lighthouse, just outside the perimeter, could also have acted as a strongpoint against approach from this direction. The accommodation area is built in two decks with only the lower portion used to house the troops. The upper deck (the structures have mostly disappeared from here now) contained the guns, watch shelters, searchlights, water tanks and observation posts. The extreme end of the Battery area is taken up by the Boom Engine House, and No.2 gun was mounted on top of this. (1-4)

<1> Victor Smith and Andrew Saunders, 2001, Kent's Defence Heritage, KD107 (Unpublished document). SKE6956.

<2> C. Dobson, 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England: Coast Artillery 1900-1956 (Monograph). SKE52187.

<3> Dover District Council, 2013, Dover District Heritage Strategy (Bibliographic reference). SKE31372.

<4> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading

Related records