Monument record SLY 092 - World War II barrage balloon site

A World War II barrage balloon site, Nissen hut, slit trenches and other associated buildings are visible on aerial photographs from 1944 onwards as earthworks and structures, centered on circa TM24023400. The barrage balloon site is visible as a central mooring point surrounded by a ring of concrete tethering blocks approximately 24m in diameter . It is likely that a further ring of tethers would have been used, and whilst these are not visible, the site does appear to be located at the centre of a circular platform circa 58m across, suggesting a larger ring had been in place. A range of structures appear to be associated with the site, including a Nissen hut type structure, which may have acted as a command post, and several smaller structures the function of which are unknown. However, the structure near the centre of the tethers may have housed a winching mechanism for the balloon, and many of the other structures might have been defensive in nature. Unfortunately it is not possible to be more precise from the 1944 photographs, and in later prints much of the site has either been dismantled or is overgrown. A number of slit trenches lay just to the north of the mooring site, and may be associated with the defence of the site, or may simply be practice trenches. A small structure that sits to the north of the trenches is of unknown function, but trackways that pass through the area of the slit trenches appear to connect it to the mooring site, suggesting a relationship to the site. This site was one of three permanent barrage balloon mooring sites on Shotley peninsular (see SLY 082 and SLY 076). It is probable that they were established for the defence of the navel base that covered much of the peninsular during the years of World War II. The site has been partially destroyed by housing development by 1951, and appears to have been completely removed by 1955. (S1-S3).
Shotley Gate, Shotley. Irregular trench approx. 70 metres long. [Plotted from aerial photographs] (S4).
Site of Second World War barrage balloon mooring at Shotley Gate, North of Harwich (S5).