Monument record 913 - Probable WWII Searchlight battery

Cropmarks of ring ditches identified on aerial photographs near Skew Bridge. A cluster of three in a 'clover-leaf' pattern and a further single ring ditch some 40m to the north-east. Interpreted as a WWII searchlight site.

{1} There was a searchlight site near Skew Bridge, on A5, north of Weedon.

{3} Ring ditch on AP in 1972.

{4} DX011 Dodford. One of 8 searchlight 'Killer Zone' cluster sites in south west Northants. 7 were built with convertaible MGRs (6 of which were in Northants). Many others are mentioned by name but without a grid reference. As yet I have been unable to find a list of all of the sites in the area, as the files for the batteries in the area are unavailable.

{5} Probably a WWII feature. There was a searchlight site near Skew Bridge, on the A5 north of Weedon.

{6} On air photographs (CUAP, AWO48, 50 and in NMR) is a circular feature 15m in diameter with an entrance on the west. To the west is a group of a further three more circles arranged in a clover-leaf pattern. These have been interpreted as ring ditches but are more likely to be the remains of a WWII anti-aircraft battery. See similar also at Brixworth and Harlestone.

<1> RUMBOLD M., 1998, History note: Anti-aircraft batteries (Notes). SNN46889.

<2> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<3> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1973, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1972, p. 26 (Journal). SNN8956.

<4> Armishaw A., 2001, War Diary of 318 Searchlight Battery: June 1940 - December 1941 (Letter). SNN101894.

<5> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, NCCAP: SP6261/001-5. (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<6> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 32 (Series). SNN77381.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:50PM