Monument record 2850 - Heavy Anti-aircraft gunsite, 400m west of Sutton Fields Farm

World War II Heavy Anti-aircraft gunsite at Sutton Weaver (Station H18 or Sutton). Site consists of 5 gun emplacements, command post, 2 garages with maintenance bays and a generator building. Billeting for staff was in huts to south of complex, but these have not survived. Station first mentioned Feb 1940. In June 1942 it was armed with four 3.7in guns supported by GL MkII radar and manned by the Home Guard. Not retained after 1945. Defence focus was Weaver Navigation and Manchester Ship Canal. Gun emplacements are arranged in an arc around the SE and SW sides of central command post. 4 of the emplacements survive as concrete octagonal open pens, with concrete roofed boxes used to store ammunition and a concrete roofed shelter. Concrete command post occupies centre of the site, partly below ground and still retains electrical fittings and hardboard wall lining. The radar was probably situated 20m to the N on a brick revetted platform. To NW and NE of the command post are 2 brick-built openbays, associated with a concrete garage. 40m to the command post is a large concrete roofed building with garage bay doors - used to house a generator. Site is surrounded by its original concrete posts which used to support a wire-mesh fence. This site is exceptionally well-preserved (1).

<1> English Heritage, Various, Old/Original Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Description), 2001/33857 (Scheduling Record). SCH4606.

<1> English Heritage, Various, Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Amendment), 2001/33857 (Scheduling Record). SCH2950.

<2> CBA, 2002, Defence of Britain Project, 2281 (Digital Archive). SCH4380.