Site Records

SiteName: Lydden Spout Battery

Dover
Kent
TR283389

Sub Brit site visit August 1996 and February 2003

Lydden Spout Battery is one of a number of coastal batteries established during WW2 along the Kent Coast. It was built in 1941 and manned by men of 520 Coastal Regiment Royal Artillery. The battery was located on the south side of a dead end minor road running west from Dover (now the A20) and in April 1941 was armed with three 6" Mk. VII naval guns on Mk. V mountings. These were later changed to Mk. XXIV guns on Mk. V mountings. They were 45 degree high angle guns giving then a longer range and they fired a 102lb shell a maximum of 24,550 yards on a full charge. The battery is identical to Fan Bay Battery on the east side of Dover.

Although initially little appears visible as most of the buildings have been demolished most of the underground features are still intact. The three emplacements are still extant although they have been infilled with only the concrete surrounding them visible.

The Battery Observation Post (BOP)

The three magazines serving the emplacements are still accessible with care as is the deep level shelter. The most prominent features are two single storey brick buildings beside a public footpath on the south side of the A20. The smaller of the two buildings, closer to the A20, was the Warrant Officer's and Sergeants' Mess. This is a rectangular brick building with an extension on one end with an entrance porch and a ladder up to the roof on the wall alongside.

The second larger building is roughly 'T' shaped; this was the dining room and cookhouse. Both buildings have been completely stripped of all fixtures and fittings including windows and doors and are now used as cattle sheds. All other buildings on the site have been demolished although some footings are visible as are the roads.

Just past the dining room on the opposite side of the camp road there is a large earth covered mound. Beneath this is the underground battery plotting room and command post. The main entrance block was demolished in the 1960's although the backfilled access shaft is still visible on top of the mound. At the southern end of the mound is the emergency escape shaft with a hinged metal hatch. This was sealed with concrete in the 1960's but was re-opened in March 2003 giving access to the well preserved plotting room below.

1 No 1 Gun Emplacement and Tunnels to Magazine 2 No 2 Gun Emplacement and Tunnels to Magazine 3 No 3 Gun Emplacement and Tunnels to Magazine 4 Regiment Institute 5 Dining Room & Cookhouse 6 N.A.A.F.I 7 Guard Room 8 Officers Mess 9 WO's & Sergeants Mess 10 Rifle Range 11 Battery Plotting Room and Command Post 12 Battery O.E. Store 13 Guard Room 14 Deep Level Shelter 15 Sanitry Block 16 Ablutions 17 Two Water Tanks 18 Heater Room and Shelter Entrance 19 Workshop 20 Engine Room 21 Fuel Oil Store 22 Railway Tunnel 24 Officers Sleeping Quarters (Nissen Hut) 25 Sergeants and Warrant Officers Sleeping Quarters (Nissen Hut) 26 Cookhouse, bread and meat store Plan of the battery by John Guy

Further information and pictures about this site continues here

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