Mumbles Battery is a

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

on the north coast of the

Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...

overlooking

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

. It was built around the base of the

Mumbles Lighthouse Mumbles Lighthouse, completed in 1794, is a lighthouse located in Mumbles, near Swansea. The structure, which sits on the outer of two islands off Mumbles Head, is clearly visible from any point along the five mile sweep of Swansea Bay. Along wi ...

. It is one of the many

Palmerston Forts The Palmerston Forts are a group of forts and associated structures around the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The forts were built during the Victorian period on the recommendations of the 1860 Royal Commission on the Defence of the ...

built in response to a perceived French invasion, and was designed to protect

Swansea Bay Swansea Bay ( cy, Bae Abertawe) is a bay on the southern coast of Wales. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan, River Kenfig and Clyne River flow into the bay. Swansea Bay and the upper reaches of the Bristol Channel experience a large tidal ...

. Construction of the battery began in 1859 and was completed by 1861 at a cost of £8,760. It mounted five 80 pounder rifled muzzle loading (RML) guns, two in casemates and three on the roof. From 1892 the battery was reduced to care and maintenance and used for practise by the

Glamorganshire Artillery Volunteers , HQ = Cardiff , Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) , Origin= , Code = GLA , CodeName = Chapman code , Replace = * West Glamorgan * Mid Glamorgan * South Glamorgan , Motto ...

. Between 1899 and 1901 the obsolete RML guns were removed and replaced by two 4.7-inch quick-firing (QF) guns on the roof of the battery. During the Second World War the defences of the Bristol Channel were increased significantly. In 1940 the two 4.7-inch guns were operated by soldiers from the

531st (Glamorgan) Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery The 2nd Glamorganshire Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army that defended the coast of South Wales from 1890 to 1942. Although it never saw action in its coastal defence role, it formed several siege batteries of heavy ho ...

.Col K W Maurice-Jones, 1959. The History of Coast Artillery in the British Army, Royal Artillery Institution, London, p221 Well before the end of the war, as the German threat decreased, the battery was placed into care and maintenance. The battery was declared surplus to requirements in 1956 upon the dissolution of the UK’s coast artillery. The guns were dismounted and the battery disposed of.

References

Publications

* {{Cite book , title=Guns Across The Severn: The Victorian Fortifications of Glamorgan , last=Saunders , first=A. , last2=Spurgeon , first2=C.J. , last3=Thomas , first3=H.J. , last4=Roberts , first4=D.J. , year=2001 , publisher=

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; cy, Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru; ), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with some aspects of the archaeological, architectura ...

, location=Aberystwyth , isbn=1-871184-25-8 , ref={{harvid, Guns Across The Severn , pages= Palmerston Forts Artillery batteries