Culver Battery

Culver Battery is a coastal defense structure on the Isle of Wight featuring two concrete gun emplacements originally designed for 9.2-inch artillery. The installation sits at the eastern edge of Bembridge and represents a typical example of this type of fortified position.

The battery was completed in 1906 and served as an active defensive position during both World Wars. It closed in 1956 and has not operated militarily since.

The site preserves examples of early 1900s British coastal defense design and remains in the care of the National Trust. It shows how military planners of that era approached fortification at exposed seaside locations.

You can access the exterior areas year-round, though the underground magazines stay closed for safety. Allow time to walk around the outer structures and take in the views from this elevated location.

During the 1920s and 1930s, the site hosted trials with experimental weapons where new artillery control systems were tested. This made it a testing ground for technologies that would influence later military development.

Location: Bembridge

Inception: July 21, 1906

GPS coordinates: 50.66610,-1.09792

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:41