GDO: The Needles Battery
Britain’s shot at space is on show, alongside military history and magnificent views
Explore Britain’s space race on the Isle of Wight.
With high cliffs overlooking white, rocky outcrops crumbling into the sea, the Needles at the Isle of Wight are a dramatic natural site worthy of a visit on their own. But we humans have added our own layers of interest, notably a Victorian military battery and a secret rocket-testing site.
The first battery – and yes, that is our tenuous pun to include it in this Battery Special – was built in the 1860s to ward off French invasion, with the New Battery built 30 years later to house more powerful guns, many of which are still on display. A century later, the site had a second life as the secret base of the High Down rocket-testing site between the 1950s and 1970s – part of Britain’s ultimately unsuccessful “race for space”.
“The landscape and underground rooms that existed from its original purpose made this a valuable position for some hugely important developments in space technology,” said Scott King, the National Trust site’s visitor experience officer. “In the underground rooms of the New Battery, which were the nerve centre of this highly secret operation, there are models of the rockets Black Knight and Black Arrow, and the satellite Prospero.”
Alongside that sneak peek at formerly secret rockets, there are a host of natural and historical features to keep visitors busy. “Visitors should not miss the view of the famous Needles Rocks and Lighthouse from our subterranean tunnel at the Old Battery, the incredible 12-tonne guns positioned on the parade ground at the Old Battery, and the atmospheric underground rooms housing a recreation of one of the rocket testing control rooms at the New Battery,” King added, citing artwork by Geoff Campion illustrating the history of the site as another highlight.
PC Pro readers will also appreciate historical tech on show. “We have two range finders for visitors to observe,” King said. “These were developed as mechanical computers with input data to process, and consequently provide target-acquisition data. Simply put, these were used to help decide where to point a gun.”
We’re celebrating 60 years of the testing site with the unveiling of a recreated Cold War-era control-room display
There’s also tech from the rocket-testing era. “At the Needles New Battery, various computer devices were used, at the very time when computer technology was being further developed to observe and study the output of the rocket engines as they were fired from their position on the cliff face,” King said.
From 1 June 2017, the site is celebrating a special anniversary of the High Down facility, with a new exhibition created with help from a former rocket engineer who worked at the site. “We’re celebrating 60 years of the High Down rockettesting site with the unveiling of our recreated Cold War-era control-room display,” King explained, “created in collaboration with original ‘Rocket Man’ Mike Elliott, now a National Trust volunteer at the New Battery site.” Visiting the New Battery is free, while admission to the Old Battery costs £7.15 for adults and £3.60 for children. For more information, visit pcpro.link/271battery. The National Trust site is separate to the Needles Landmark Attraction ( theneedles.co. uk), which contains a co-located funfair, chairlift and boat rides that reopen for the season at Easter.