The Needles Batteries facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Needles Batteries |
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| The Needles, Isle of Wight, England | |
The view over the old battery
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 The Needles Batteries
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| Coordinates | 50°39′44″N 1°35′02″W / 50.66213°N 1.58399°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | National Trust |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1861–63 (old) 1895 (new) |
| In use | 1863 onwards |
| Materials | Brick and flint |
| Battles/wars | World War I and World War II |
| Events | Anti-aircraft gun trials Blue Streak tests |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name | Old Needles Battery |
| Designated | 28 March 1994 |
| Reference no. | 1220402 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name | New Needles Battery |
| Designated | 28 March 1994 |
| Reference no. | 1209415 |
| Official name | New Battery and High Down Test Site, The Needles |
| Designated | 31 July 2015 |
| Reference no. | 1422839 |
The Needles Batteries are two old military forts built on cliffs. They stand high above the famous Needles rock stacks. Their job was to protect the western entrance of The Solent, a busy waterway. These batteries were designed to stop enemy ships from getting through.
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Discover the Needles Batteries!
The Needles Batteries are important historical sites. They show how people defended the coast of England. They also tell a story of changing technology, from powerful guns to rocket tests.
The Old Battery: A Look Back in Time
The Old Battery was built between 1861 and 1863. It was first armed with six large 7-inch guns. These were powerful weapons that could fire far. Later, even bigger guns were added. In 1872, four 7-inch and two 9-inch guns replaced the first ones. By 1893, six 9-inch guns were in place.
Powerful Guns and Clever Defenses
It took a team of nine soldiers to load and fire each 9-inch gun. These guns shot heavy shells that weighed about 116 kilograms (256 pounds). The 9-inch guns stayed until 1903. Then, they were thrown over the cliff! Later, two of these guns were found and are now on display at the Old Battery.
To protect the battery from attacks on land, a deep ditch was dug. It had a bridge that could be pulled back. In 1885, a tunnel was dug towards the cliff. An elevator was added in 1887 to reach the beach below. The site was also used for early experiments with searchlights. A special observation post for a searchlight was built in 1899. The Old Battery is now a Grade II Listed Building, meaning it's an important historical site.
A long tunnel leads to a searchlight area. From there, you can get great views of the Needles lighthouse.
The New Battery: Higher and Stronger
Building the Old Battery had some problems. The cliffs sometimes crumbled when the guns fired. To fix this, a new battery was built higher up the cliff. It stands 120 meters (about 394 feet) above the sea. The New Battery was finished in 1895.
Protecting the Coast in Wartime
The New Battery was equipped with three very large 9.2-inch guns. Two were installed in 1900, and a third in 1903. Each of these huge guns needed 11 soldiers to operate it. Their shells weighed about 172 kilograms (380 pounds)! These guns stayed in place until 1954, when they were taken apart.
Both the Old and New Batteries were used during World War I and World War II. German submarines sank two ships near The Needles during World War I. The site was also used to test early anti-aircraft guns. During World War II, anti-aircraft guns here helped defend the Isle of Wight from air attacks. Soldiers even trained on the nearby cliffs for the D-Day landings. After the wars, the batteries were no longer needed by the military.
From Guns to Rockets: A New Purpose
In the 1950s, the area near the New Battery became a rocket test site. Scientists tested rockets like the Blue Streak, Black Knight, and Black Arrow. These were important steps in British space exploration. Like the Old Battery, the New Battery is also a Grade II listed building. The remaining parts of the rocket testing site are now a protected scheduled monument.
Visiting the Batteries Today
The National Trust now owns and manages the Needles Batteries. They decided to restore the Old Battery so people could visit. Local schoolchildren and teachers even helped get the site ready! It officially opened to the public in 1982.
Today, you can visit the Old Battery from mid-March to the end of October. It helps you imagine what a Victorian fort was like. You can also learn about the life of a soldier during World War II. There are exhibition rooms, the tunnel, and a tearoom. The New Battery opened to visitors in 2004. It has displays about British rocket development from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Gallery
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Gun emplacement at the Old Needles Battery
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The tunnel, leading to the searchlight.
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Searchlight at the end of the Searchlight Tunnel, Old Needles Battery
