A possible Second World War pillbox located at TQ7105 7786 on the inner side of the former sea wall south of Lower Hope Point. This was seen on RAF aerial photographs taken in 1953 prior to the realignment and strengthening of the sea defences. The possible pillbox has now been destroyed, the position lying on the seaward side of the present day wall. The structure was mapped from the 1953 aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. (1)

This is the former site of an early-20th century searchlight emplacement associated with the contemporary remains of ‘Hope Battery’ (uid 41709 / NMR TQ 77 NW 33), a short-lived coastal examination battery that was active from 1900, but had been decommissioned by or before 1911 and sold at auction in 1926. The searchlight was one of a pair positioned on the sea wall either side of Hope Battery to support an examination line for shipping overlooking the Thames Estuary near Lower Hope Point; its partner is recorded under uid 1533293 / NMR TQ 77 NW 304.

Research into the background of Hope Battery (uid 416709: a coastal examination battery active from 1900, decommissioned by or before 1911 and sold at auction in 1926) uncovered contemporary plans and descriptions of the battery which included reference to this feature. The small structure is labelled as ‘Electric Light Emplacement No. 2’ on a plan of the complex drawn up in 1904, shown with a purpose-built footpath or track connecting it directly to the battery complex to its north-east (2a). Another plan from 1904, this time showing coastal defences across the Lower Hope reaches clearly illustrates the reach and coverage of the pair of searchlights belonging to Hope Battery (2b). The 1908 Ordnance Survey map shows two small structures in this position - presumably the searchlight itself and a small shelter or power house to its immediate south - both are shown just the landward side of the sea wall and are clearly depicted inside a small (fenced?) compound accessed by a footbridge over a drainage dyke within an area shown to been bounded by War Department markers (2b). A description of Hope Battery from 1916 highlighted the fact that it was unusual in its use of new technology for steel plate buildings and, of interest here, for electric searchlights for effective night-time defence (2d). A single structure in the position of the searchlight is shown as extant on the 1963 Ordnance Survey map (2e); however, at some time during the 1980s or 1990s the stretch of sea wall close to Hope Battery was enhanced and rebuilt, any remains associated with the searchlight emplacements were likely destroyed at this time. (2)

<1> RAF, 1953, NMR RAF/82/1009 0129 05-feb-1953 (Photograph). SKE57190.

<2> Historic England, 2011, Rebecca Pullen/17-FEB-2011/EH (investigation of the Hope Battery remains) (Miscellaneous Material). SKE57191.

<3> 1904, Proposed sluice at Hope Battery [with plan], dated 1904. (Archive). SKE57192.

<4> Admiralty, 1904, Admiralty Chart, 1904 (Map). SKE57193.

<5> Crookshank, A A, 1916, ‘Passing Thoughts on Military Architecture in the Thames Defences (Article in serial). SKE57194.

<6> Historic England, 2016, Archive Material (Archive). SKE57167.