The Needles Old Battery & New Battery in Alum Bay, Isle of Wight

The Needles Old Battery & New Battery

Contact Details

Address:
West High Down
Alum Bay
Isle of Wight
PO39 0JH

Telephone:
01983 754772

Visit Website

Send an Email

Special Offers

The Needles Old Battery and New Battery is now closed until 13 March 2010 but ...

until 28 February 2010 the Needles Old Battery Tearoom will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am - 3pm. Serving hot and cold drinks, homemade soup, cakes and other refreshments this is the ideal refreshment stop when walking on the headland.

MAKE MUM´S DAY SUNDAY 14 MARCH Free admission to the Needles Old Battery for all mums accompanied by one or more of their children plus a free slice of Victoria sponge for mum afterwards in the tea room.

EVENTS AT THE NEEDLES IN 2010

Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 March, 12 noon – 2pm
Needles New Battery - Meet a Rocketman
Come along to the Needles New Battery and meet one of the men involved with the secret rocket testing programme. Find out what it was like to work there and what the rockets were used for. Part of National Science Week. Free admission to Needles
New Battery. Normal admission charges to Needles Old Battery.

Easter Monday 5 April 10.30am – 4pm
Easter Egg-citement: Children’s Easter Egg trail supported by Cadbury. Crack the clues to claim your egg. Normal admission (National Trust members free) plus £1.50 per trail sheet.

Saturday 19 June 6am – 11am
Round the Island Yacht Race Breakfast
Watch the yachts round the Needles rocks from the spectacular vantage point of the Needles Old Battery whilst enjoying a hearty breakfast in the tea room or, if the weather permits, outside on the grassy slopes. For wheelchair users and less abled visitors there is now a viewing platform at the far end of the Parade Ground overlooking the Needles (limited space). Normal admission charges apply and do not include breakfast. Additional charge for breakfast £6.99. For disabled access please phone 01983 754772.
For commercial filming and photography please contact the Assistant Property Manager on 01983 741020.
.

Events later in the season to follow.

Features

Baby Changing Facilities
Children's Quiz Trail
Disabled Facilities
Display Days
Dogs Welcome
Exhibitions
Family Activity Packs
Family Friendly
Gift Shop
Groups Welcome
Guided Tours
Refreshments
Schools & Parties Welcome
Tea Rooms

Description

The Needles Old Battery, built in 1862 following the threat of a French invasion, is a spectacularly sited cliff top fort containing exhibitions about its involvement in both World Wars. Two original gun barrels are displayed in the parade ground and a tunnel accessed by a spiral staircase leads to a searchlight emplacement perched above the Needles rocks.

The New Battery is on a separate site further up the headland and contains an exhibition on Britain´s secret rocket testing programme during the Cold War.

Spectacular cliff top location with fine views over to Dorset and Hampshire
Fascinating military history
Tunnel through the cliffs leads to a unique panorama of The Needles
Original guns on display
Family activity packs ´Be a soldier on watch´
Soldier Trail for young visitors: can you find Major Mindup and his Gunners
Visit the tea room in the former lookout tower for the Isle of Wight´s most westerly refreshments
With the help of the West Wight Landscape Partnership a viewing platform has been installed at the far end of the Parade Ground enabling visitors in wheelchairs and others with restricted mobility to have a clear view of the Needles Rocks.

Access Details
There is no vehicular access to either the Needles Old Battery or New Battery (visitors with disabilities are aske to phone 01983 754772 or to email the address above for arrangement). The Needles Old Battery has a number of steep paths and uneven surfaces. Access to the tunnel is via a narrow spiral staircase. WCs are available for visitors to the Old Battery. The New Battery has uneven surfaces and steps down to the exhibition rooms. There is no WC at the New Battery. The route from the Old Battery up to the New Battery is steep.

OPENING TIMES 2010 13th March to 31st October

THE NEEDLES OLD BATTERY: daily, 10.30am - 5pm (last admission 4.30pm or dusk if earlier).

Gift Aid Admission

Adult £4.85
Child £2.45
Family £12.10
National Trust members free

Including a voluntary 10% donation; visitors can, however, choose to pay the standard admission process which are displayed at the property and at www.nationaltrust.org.uk

THE NEEDLES NEW BATTERY: Saturdays and Sundays 11am - 4pm. Also school holidays and other days where possible. There is no admission charge to the New Battery.

HALF PRICE FARE FOR NATIONAL TRUST MEMBERS ON NEEDLES TOUR BUS
Please ask the driver for details.