Orkney Day 6 - Sanday and Rerwick
Entrance to generating house, Reserve Radar Station, Lettan, Sanday.
The first part of the day was a beautiful crossing over to Sanday, one of Orkney's Northern Isles. During WWII this peaceful sandy island, with wide beaches and beautiful dunes, was disrupted by the building of a Chain Home Radar station, a Reserve Radar Station and a camp to house personnel (which included a cinema). The Chain Home station was one of a whole network stretching along Britain's east coast, 'listening' out for the enemy, using a technology that was still very new. Several of buildings left from these sites are earth covered, emerging up from the ground it seems, but with sinister shadowy doorways and entrances that create dark gapes in the landscape.
Layers of built-up lichen on the generating house building, Lettan.
Receiver block, eserve Radar Station, Lettan.
Crumbling building, part of RAF Whalehead, Lopness, Sanday.
'Brickie Hut' - part of a dummy airfield at Cata Sand.
Another construction that was part of RAF Whalehead, Lopness.
A visit to Rerwick, East Mainland was the second part of the day. This coastal battery protected the eastern approaches to Kirkwall Bay, with two large guns on site. The building here are impressive and looking out from search lights across towards Shapinsay and out to sea, there's still a real sense of a sinister wartime atmosphere, waiting and watching for an enemy beyond the horizon.
Overview of Rerwick, including the 'Orkney style' engine room.*
Search light at Rerwick.
Looking out across the now-peaceful sea from a Rewick searchlight.
A nearly overgrown, but still accessible shelter.
Light and shadows create eerie effects around the brutal concrete constructions.
Loopholes in the wall of a gun emplacement at Rerwick, for self-defence.*
An imposing battery observation post.
Inside the Fire Command Post.
Looking up - dark shadows against the sky.
The Fire Command Post, with wooden slats still outside.
* Information from: Orkney Coastal Batteries 1914-1956, Jeff Dorman, 1996.