Needles Old Battery built

Old Battery built | 1861-63 | Period: Victorian

Built to guard the western end of the Solent from enemy ships, the Old Battery is a spectacularly sited cliff top fort overlooking The Needles Rocks.

In 1885 a tunnel was dug towards the cliff face from the parade grounds and in 1887 an elevator down to the beach was completed. The original guns were replaced in 1893 by six 9-inch rifled muzzle loaders which took a team of 9 men to load and fire. These guns fired projectiles weighing 116 kg. Early searchlight experiments were conducted at the site between 1889 and 1892.

Admission tickets to The Needles Old Battery are available from the Ships Stores onboard or when making a ferry booking online.