These two original 9-inch rifled muzzle loaders are what remains of six such coastal defence guns installed in 1893. With shells weighing 116kg, each gun required a team of nine men to operate.

Located high on clifftops overlooking The Needles rocks, the Old Needles Battery was built during the 1860s to guard the approaches of the western Solent from encroachment by enemy ships. It was subsequently used for coastal defence in both the First and Second World Wars. Today it remains a Grade II listed site under the stewardship of the National Trust.