MoD Shoeburyness

MoD Shoeburyness is a military installation at Pig's Bay near Shoeburyness in Essex.

History
In 1849 the Board of Ordnance purchased land at South Shoebury with a view to setting up an artillery testing and practice range. (Until then, Plumstead Common and Woolwich Common had been used, but these were no longer viable due to the increasing power and range of the weapons.) Its use grew significantly during the Crimean War. Around this time the officers' mess was set up in a former Coastguard station on what is now Mess Road, and a series of houses were built alongside, facing the sea, for the commandant and other officers. In 1856 a garrison hospital was established nearby.

In the wake of the Crimean War the Royal Artillery School of Gunnery was established at Shoeburyness in 1859, with Horseshoe Barracks and various other amenities being added not long afterwards. Over the years that followed Shoeburyness was integral to the development of new and improved artillery weapons. As a result, more space was required for this work to continue, and from 1889 the establishment expanded on to a 'New Range' to the north-east, which encompassed Foulness and Havengore. An accidental explosion in February 1885 killed seven Royal Artillery personnel.

In 1920 Shoebury was redesignated as the 'Coast Artillery School' of the Royal Garrison Artillery, with the move of the Field Artillery and Horse Artillery equivalents to the School of Artillery at Larkhill. After the Second World War artillery regiments continued to be garrisoned at Shoebury until 1976. Following the closure of the Old Ranges in 1998 the old garrison land and buildings (several of which are now listed) were sold and converted for housing.

The New Ranges remain in use, however; the work of the Experimental Establishment, begun in 1859, continues today under the auspices of Qinetiq. The site is known as MoD Shoeburyness.

A tower was planned to stand in the Shoeburyness Garrison housing development. The tower was to be 18 storeys high and designed to mark the start of the Thames Gateway development.