MHG52816 - Mid C19 Gun Battery - Castletown
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- COASTAL BATTERY (Built, 19th Century - 1820 AD to 1870 AD)
Protected Status
Full Description
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 main difference lies in the angle of the embrasures. Bronze hinges were a safety feature of the powder-room door as they were less likely to produce sparks. <1>
Photographs of a structure on the site were taken by A Puls on site visit. This main battery building, and revetment for cannons, facing out over Dunnet Bay, is marked on modern Ordnance Survey maps, as a rifle range. The structure is not shown on the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey map, but the area is shown as a rifle range, with a target set at 400yds. <2> <3> <4>
The site was Scheduled by Historic Environment Scotland in 2016. <5>
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> 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. Vol 5, Number 8.
- <2> SHG23993 Image/Photograph(s): Puls, A. Site Visit Photographs. Colour. . Digital.
- <3> SHG23362 Image/Map: Ordnance Survey. 1906. Ordnance Survey 2nd edition 25 inch map: Caithness. Digital.
- <4> SHG23361 Image/Map: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Mastermap. Digital.
- <5> SHG27747 Text/Designation Notification/Scheduled Monument: Historic Environment Scotland. 2016. Addition to the Schedule of Monuments: SM13625: Castletown Battery, battery 505m N of Tralorn. Historic Environment Scotland. Digital.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 1843 6901 (396m by 144m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND16NE |
| Civil Parish | OLRIG |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM13625 (View on-line HES designation record)
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