MHG13741 - Battery - Geo of Bedsdale, Harrow
Summary
The remains of a coastal artillery battery constructed around 1866.
Type and Period (1)
- BATTERY (Post Medieval - 1560 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status
Full Description
The remains of a coastal artillery battery constructed around 1866.
ND 2853 7422: Battery (2 guns) Magazine. <1>
An artillery battery of two guns, very neatly constructed and kept in good repair. A large 'flag stone' forms the target for volunteer practice in the neighbourhood. <2>
In 1866 under the influence of the Earl of Caithness, an Artillery Company was formed at Mey and shortly afterwards a second company was raised in Castletown. No doubt one of the company’s first tasks was to build a training battery and to apply for cannon to man it. The sketch of the batteries at Mey and Castletown shows that they are surprisingly complete and a mirror image of each other. The two cannon which ornament the front of the Castle of Mey probably came from the Mey battery; they have a bore of 6½ inches and a barrel length of 94 inches. These cannon have been heavily painted and it is not easy to read their identification numbers. The west one carries a George lV cypher with a date of 1820(?) which means it was rather an elderly piece when issued to the company. <3>
The site was Scheduled by Historic Environment Scotland in 2016. <4>
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SHG23892 Image/Map: Ordnance Survey. 1876-77. Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6 inch map: Caithness (surveyed 1870-73). Digital.
- <2> SHG3350 Text/Publication/Volume: Name Book (County). Object Name Books of the Ordnance Survey. p.40.
- <3> SHG25033 Text/Publication/Article: Watson, G. 1996. The Artillery Batteries at Mey and Castletown (Caithness Field Club Bulletin Vol. 5 Number 8). Caithness Fld Club Bulletin.
- <4> SHG27748 Text/Designation Notification/Scheduled Monument: Historic Environment Scotland. 2016. Addition to the Schedule of Monuments: SM13649: Mey Battery, battery 80m NE of Braes of Harrow. Historic Environment Scotland. Digital.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 2852 7422 (30m by 30m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND27SE |
| Civil Parish | CANISBAY |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM13649 (View on-line HES Designation record)
- http://www.caithness.org/caithnessfieldclub/bulletins/1996/artillery_batteries_castletown_and_mey.htm (View on-line article)
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