Coastal Battery Cloch Point

The Cloch Point Battery formed part of the Clyde Defences during both World War I and World War II. The site was located at Cloch Point, on the hillside above the A770 Cloch Road, and overlooked the Cloch Lighthouse, sited across the road on the shoreline below. A searchlight battery with three platforms and a large hut was also located on the shore side, and is described separately below.

Records indicate the battery's two 6-inch guns, numbers 2406 and 2384, had originally been installed at the Portkil Battery, and were moved to Cloch in 1916. They remained in place on care and maintenance from November 1944 to December 1956, and following their removal, the site was developed as a caravan park (Cloch Caravans, Gourock), where both gun emplacements were filled in and used as caravan bases.

The records also refer to further buildings associated with the battery, but give no related information. Examination of recent aerial images of the area available in 2007 revealed their existence in nearby woods, a short way to the south of the former emplacements, almost completely obscured by surrounding undergrowth. Without the obscuration of the surrounding trees and undergrowth, these building would have formed the battery observation and command post, and although their view of the approach to the Firth of Clyde is now non-existent, would have been clear high and clear to the south during the war years.

1931 Gun move

We are grateful to Mike Reeve, who provided us with photographs of the guns taken during their move from the Portkil battery to Cloch Point in 1931. The move was carried out by his grandfather, Captain Richard Shrive, who was also responsible for the movement and refurbishment of many UK heavy gun batteries at various places between the wars, and some on Gibraltar in the 1930s. He is mentioned in respect of Inchkeith and is also known to have been at Broughty Ferry Castle in 1934 when that was decommissioned. He served in World War I, in France and Belgium, with the RGA (Royal Garrison Artillery), and from 1915 with the 91st Siege Battery RGA, and ended up as a Major. The knowledge and skills he developed during this time made him something of an expert in his field.

Although museum records indicate the move tool place in 1916, this need not conflict with this 1931 report, as it is understood that the movement of guns was not an unusual occurrence, and could certainly have taken place on more than one occasion.

The views shown have been cropped, cleaned lightly, straightened, and enhanced by comparison with the originals.

F/2 Cloch
Point Battery
Gourock N.B.
Nov 1931
--------
Shield on Apron
--------

F2 Cloch
Point Battery
Gourock Clyde
Nov 1931
--------
MKIV Shield
mounted from
Rear
--------

Cloch (Clyde)
----
F/1 Shield
on far floor

Cloch
--------
Shield on temporary
Sleigh at foot of light
railway
(F1 Shield)
Note
----
F2 Shield was moved
up the hill with front of
Shield leading.

The following additional information regarding gun movements was also provided, sourced from the National Archive:

Site visit September 2007 - Hillside buildings

Following the discovery of the buildings visible in the aerial view, a second visit was made to the site, and two sets of building were located at different levels on the hillside. The upper building consists of a single room, with no immediate clues as to its purpose, while those below look out into the firth, and would have been used for observation and gun laying.

The lower range comprises three buildings joined onto one another, and forms a complex with a total of some seven separate rooms within. The buildings themselves, together with the various fixtures, fittings, and features within them are generally unfamiliar, and have not been found on similar sites we have visited. Detailed photographs appear in the 2007 Photo Gallery listed below, and we would appreciate any information available regarding these buildings, via the Contact Form, or the Discussion Tab above.

Cloch Point Searchlight Battery

Searchlight Battery remains

The Searchlight Battery lies either side of the Cloch Lighthouse, with the hut and one platform to the north east, and the remaining two platforms to the south. To help with identification, we've numbered the platforms 1, 2, and 3 in the following text.

Platform (3) is reported to have been bricked up, with the upper room used for storage, while the lower section on the shore is used as a shelter for cyclists. The design is similar to a platform located on the shore at Portkil, also reported by RCAHMS as a World War II Searchlight Platform - and which appears to have been converted to form part of private house.

North east of the lighthouse are the remains of a searchlight platform (1) which has been reduced in height to about 1 m, and topped with rough stones to create a viewing platform for visitors. There are several holes in the walls, which may have been for dooks, wooden plugs which allowed fixings to be made into stone or brick walls.

Two more searchlight buildings lie south west of the lighthouse, one has been converted into a garage (2), while the other (3), which was once opened as viewing platform, has been bricked up.

Site visit May 2007

On the seaward side of the A770, the remains of a concrete base for a hut, and three concrete searchlight platforms remain. Beginning with the hut base to the north, and moving south, the platform nearest the former hut has been demolished and converted into a viewpoint, leaving a surrounding wall of approximately one metre in height, finished with decorative stone along its top. The second platform lies near the end of the garden south of the 1930s lighthouse keeper's cottage, and has been converted into a garage. The third and final platform lies a short distance along the road to the south, and remains in near original condition, with all its openings bricked up, and doors secured. The structure has been painted white to match the nearby lighthouse buildings.

Cloch Point Searchlight Battery Hut

Reports of the hut are not specific, but the building's size, and provision of facilities evident from the remains, indicate that this would have served as stand-by room and/or accommodation for the searchlight crews. It may also have housed a generator, or generators, to power the lights, as there is no reference to an engine room in the records.

Site visit May 2007

A site visit carried out in May 2007 revealed variations from the RCAHMS reports, together with some additional information.

To the east of the lighthouse a large hut base, 7 m x 10 m, lies between the road and the shore, brick built with a concrete floor, with evidence of brick partitions. These indicate it comprised a small porch, two large rooms, one on either side, with the east room leading to two smaller rooms, one of which included a toilet cubicle. Remnants of floor screed at one end show the floor/wall joint was curved rather than at right angles, but there are no clues as to the reason. The base has been fitted with two seats for visitors/tourists.

Photographs

• Photo gallery, 2007 - includes all the hillside buildings.

Concrete base with added seating

Searchlight platform (1) converted to viewpoint

Searchlight platform (2) converted for use as garage

Searchlight platform (3) in virtually original condition

External links

Aerial views

All maps (and links) centre on the Hillside Buildings, not the battery.

^{Live Search Maps is now called Bing Maps, Microsoft Virtual Earth is now called Bing Maps for Enterprise, June 2009.}

Map

• Cloch Point Battery
• Hillside buildings
• Hut base
• Platform (1) Viewpoint
• Platform (2) Garage
• Platform (3) Closed

( :gma-map view=hybrid :)

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