The Old Battery at The Needles on the Isle of Wight is an artillery emplacement built on the cliff top above the Needles stacks in 1861–63 to guard the west end of the Solent, the strait separating the island from the mainland.
As advances in artillery technology in the late Victorian era meant it was no longer stable enough to carry newer, heavier guns, the Old Battery was adapted for use as an observation point with a New Battery built higher up the cliff.
As part of its observation function, a tunnel was built down into the cliff face to house a searchlight which could scan the waters of the Solent, as seen in this picture. This was in use up to the Second World War.
Tags: Hampshire searchlight The Needles old battery Isle of Wight National Trust
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The Needles are three chalk stacks that stand at the north-western tip of the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England, close to Alum Bay. On the outermost rock stands a lighthouse.
The lighthouse was built in 1859 and has been automated since 1994. It is 33.25 metres (109.1 feet) tall. It is maintained via helicopter access using the helipad on the top of the lighthouse.
This photo was taken from the Old Battery, a 19th century gun emplacement on the cliffs above the Needles, which is now a National Trust property.
Tags: Hampshire needles lighthouse Isle of Wight helipad National Trust chalk stack
© All Rights Reserved
The Needles are three chalk stacks that stand at the north-western tip of the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England, close to Alum Bay (from which this photo is taken). On the outermost rock stands a lighthouse.
Tags: Hampshire needles lighthouse Isle of Wight National Trust chalk stack
© All Rights Reserved
The Needles are three chalk stacks that stand at the north-western tip of the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England, close to Alum Bay. On the outermost rock stands a lighthouse. Boats from Alum Bay regularly bring tourists to view the Needles up close, as seen in this picture.
The lighthouse was built in 1859 and has been automated since 1994. It is 33.25 metres (109.1 feet) tall. It is maintained via helicopter access using the helipad on the top of the lighthouse.
This photo was taken from the Old Battery, a 19th century gun emplacement on the cliffs above the Needles, which is now a National Trust property.
Tags: Hampshire needles lighthouse Isle of Wight National Trust chalk stack
© All Rights Reserved