The history of High Angle Battery

Located on the isle of Portland, High Angle Battery is a late Victorian gun battery built to help defend Portland Harbour against invasion.

Constructed in the 1890s, its purpose was to fire shells at a high angle onto attacking ships below. The battery’s high position and network of below-ground buildings, tunnels and concealed gun emplacements made it almost invisible to enemy warships.

But, despite its formidable design, advancements in ship speed meant the site quickly became obsolete.  The battery went out of use after only 10 years, never firing a single shot in combat.

The site is a Scheduled Monument and over time has fallen into disrepair, and in 2022 it was placed on Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ register.