After a tip off from a mate that lives in Harwich of some cool bunkers that I should check out, me and a couple of friends jumped in his motor and took a trip down. Once we got there we walked aound the whole of the site and thought it had been a wasted trip as we could see the bunkers from the footpaths but the whole site is contained within a 6/7 foot high fence. On a bit of a downer after the hour drive down we decided to head back to the car thinking we'd been defeated and the trip was wasted.
As we were just about to get in the car we noticed a footpath leading off into some waste ground towards the area of the site, after a little trundle down and a bit of luck we were in.
We spent about an hour and a half exploring all the different bunkers, towers and an underground section that looks like it was used as ammo storage and possibly living quarters. There is a lot of 'ammo lifts' going down underground but without glow sticks it was tough trying to match up what we'd seen above ground to what we found under.
Another trip is definitely needed as I've been told we had missed the whole of the tunnel network and a few other buildings. The site is massive and on a sunny day is definitely a sight to behold.
Some history of the site,
'Beacon Hill Battery (also known as Beacon Hill Fort) was built to defend the port of Harwich, Essex.
The first fortification built on the site was a blockhouse, constructed in 1534 during the reign of Henry VIII. This site was abandoned within ten years. After the death of Henry VIII the site was rearmed. By 1625 the site had again fallen into disrepair and Harwich was considered to be defenceless.
The site now remained out of use until a redoubt of ten guns was built in 1810. In 1862 these guns were upgraded as a result of the 1860 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom.
By the 1880s the fort was considered outdated and in 1889 work began on a totally new fort, which was completed in 1892. After World War I the fort was disarmed and sold. In 1940 it was bought back into service as a consequence of World War II. The fort was then decommissioned in 1956.'
As we were just about to get in the car we noticed a footpath leading off into some waste ground towards the area of the site, after a little trundle down and a bit of luck we were in.
We spent about an hour and a half exploring all the different bunkers, towers and an underground section that looks like it was used as ammo storage and possibly living quarters. There is a lot of 'ammo lifts' going down underground but without glow sticks it was tough trying to match up what we'd seen above ground to what we found under.
Another trip is definitely needed as I've been told we had missed the whole of the tunnel network and a few other buildings. The site is massive and on a sunny day is definitely a sight to behold.
Some history of the site,
'Beacon Hill Battery (also known as Beacon Hill Fort) was built to defend the port of Harwich, Essex.
The first fortification built on the site was a blockhouse, constructed in 1534 during the reign of Henry VIII. This site was abandoned within ten years. After the death of Henry VIII the site was rearmed. By 1625 the site had again fallen into disrepair and Harwich was considered to be defenceless.
The site now remained out of use until a redoubt of ten guns was built in 1810. In 1862 these guns were upgraded as a result of the 1860 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom.
By the 1880s the fort was considered outdated and in 1889 work began on a totally new fort, which was completed in 1892. After World War I the fort was disarmed and sold. In 1940 it was bought back into service as a consequence of World War II. The fort was then decommissioned in 1956.'
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