Battery Observation Post

BATTERY OBSERVATION POST, EAST LANE

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1389463
Date first listed:
29-Oct-2001
List Entry Name:
Battery Observation Post
Statutory Address:
BATTERY OBSERVATION POST, EAST LANE
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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1389463
Date first listed:
29-Oct-2001
List Entry Name:
Battery Observation Post
Statutory Address 1:
BATTERY OBSERVATION POST, EAST LANE

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
BATTERY OBSERVATION POST, EAST LANE

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Suffolk
District:
East Suffolk (District Authority)
Parish:
Bawdsey
National Grid Reference:
TM3569040071

Details

1218/0/10013
29-OCT-01

BAWDSEY
EAST LANE
Battery Observation Post at TM 358 401

II

Battery Observation Post. 1940. Reinforced concrete. Two-storey building, with steps down to balcony at first-floor level; cantilevered roof over balcony, which views out to sea; entrance to ground floor immediately below, with the wide opening beneath balcony. High precision range finders were housed in the upper storey, which acted as the centre of communications with the searchlights positions and guns. A Bar and Stroud range finder was housed in the lower part of the building. This building formed the operational focal point of the Emergency Coastal Defence Battery here, which was one of many erected in 1940 to provide additional protection to harbour installations. The BOP served the gun emplacements which lie on the upper shore line approx. 100m to the east, and a series of mobile guns stationed on the marshes. This structure forms an integral part of one of the most complete 20th century coastal batteries in existence (and 7 out of 116 Emergency Batteries), relating to the rapid enhancement of Britain's coastal defence in the early stages of the Second World War, in addition to a nationally-important grouping of coastal defences on the Suffolk coast dating from the Napoleonic period.

Listing NGR: TM3569040071

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
488145
Legacy System:
LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Battery Observation Post

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 17-Jun-2026 at 23:16:06.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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