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Blyth Battery is a coastal defence artillery battery built in 1916 to defend the port of Blyth and its submarine base HMS Elfin. It is one of the most intact and accessible of all those built in Britain in World War One. Its observation post has a revolving metal turret and is believed to be the only surviving building of this kind in the world. It鈥檚 predominately made up of two groups of buildings; a twin gun emplacement and a twin searchlight emplacement, with a number of other buildings, some of which have sunk into the dunes. It was later handed over to the local authority and used again in World War Two. In the 1950s many of the buildings were converted into holiday chalets, others were used as toilets and even a first aid post. In 2008, work began to restore the buildings and create an exhibition space. It鈥檚 now the home of a dedicated volunteer group and thousands of people visit every year. Location: Blyth Battery, Northumberland NE24 3PQ Image shows Blyth Battery, courtesy of Colin Durward Report presented by Jo Lonsdale
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