Shouson Hill AA Battery [1930- ]

Submitted by tonyb on Wed, 02/23/2011 - 09:06
Current condition
Ruin
Date completed

Additional notes from Rob Weir:

Date of last visit: Jul-98
Ref: ROB-00154
Other: Referred to in equipment lists as Deepwater Bay AA.

Timeline:

  • 1935: 2 x 3” 20 cwt AA guns.  (ADM 116/3490).
  • 1936: 2 x 3” 20 cwt AA guns.  (CAB 11/196).
  • 1939: 2 x 3” 20 cwt AA guns.  (WO 106/2379).
  • 1941: Reference to old AA position on Shouson Hill being occupied by enemy.  (WO 106/2401).
  • 1998: Gun positions and ramp remained, heavily overgrown, in an isolated position.
  • 2015: As for 1998.  (HK Lands Dept. Aerial photographs).

For a background to these notes, and a glossary of terms used, please see http://gwulo.com/node/24630

Original notes from tonyb:

According to Wikipedia and other sources, there was some military activity on top of this hill.

According to this map (see bottom of document), there are some ruins there:

http://www.geodetic.gov.hk/SummarySheet/1024.03.pdf

Access seems to be available from the west.  Looking at google maps, thats also where US Consulate staff quarters are; I wonder how hard it will be to get up there and explore.  

 

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Photos that show this Place

Shouson Hill Ruin c2004
2004
Shouson Hill Ruin c2004
2004
slope up to the platform
2004
See more photos of this place

Comments

I think I've read there was an anti-aircraft battery on top of the hill, though there's no mention of it in Rollo's "The Guns and Gunners of Hong Kong".

Today, I tried to make it up there from the link given above, next to 39A.

Although there is some kind of faint path, it does quickly disappear and the path turns into a forest with not a single ribbon in sight :-(  Will have to go back another day.

I found another set of pictures and this path looks a bit easier to attempt:

http://www.hiking.com.hk/discus/messages/13/61150.html?1297161854

Hello There,

Long time haven't visiting this site.. last time i guess it was still Batkung... Ok, here's how i got up Shouson Hill back in 2004!

Regards,

vhhhatc

Shouson Hill Ruin

Hey Guys. Saw some comments on how to get up there.

I stumbled on this area by chance while exploring.   It can be easily accessed via a maintenance trail used by some construction workers on the very start of Deep Water Bay road connecting with Shouson Hill Road. The old path created for towing materials up to the site is a dead end and is blocked by private residences.

Very cool spot to explore. I may upload pictures soon.

Thanks

Hi all. Finally went up again, sorry for the delay.  I am not very good at using gwulo still, so I only knew how to insert photos into the comment via link.

Here are the steps to get there

1-Go to Shouson Hill Road East/Deep Water Bay Road, either up shouson hill road which will eventually turn off from it. Or continue down Deep Water Bay road from Wong Nai Chung Gap or Island road.

2-Stop at the fork between Shouson Hill Road East and Deep Water Bay Road 

Pictured here: http://gwulo.com/atom/24977

3-Start to walk down Deep Water Bay road in the direction of Deep Water Bay.

-Immediately on your right will be a maintenance looking trail and construction site

pictured blurrily here: http://gwulo.com/atom/24978

NOTE!  More recently, likely after seeing me and my friend go up, the construction guys have strung a single spool of barbed wire accross the entrance area. It is only for intimidation and if you can step over it in a single stride.

4-Follow this up to the top and you will get to the battery. 

NOTE!  The trail is a poor, temporary maintenance trail and only sometimes a path. Watch your footing.

 

The site-

It is quite overgrown, but the main structures and pully system components intact. Visible ammunition storage pens on the sides of the battery. The pully ramp leads eventually to a private residence barbed wire fence. It is possible to bushwack around this fence and get to a lower one. But we still had to effectively break into a private residence to get out.

http://gwulo.com/atom/24980

Blurry Ramp-  http://gwulo.com/atom/24979

great view-  http://gwulo.com/atom/24981

 

 

 

Cheers

Went up again this past week. The maintenance trail has been removed but there is still a path left behind. Follow my above instructions to access the route. Basically, take a right onto Deep Water Bay Road (from Shouson Hill Road East) at the junction of the two roads. Round the corner and you should come to this view..

https://www.google.com/maps/@22.2479508,114.1841306,3a,75y,207.54h,77.05t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sQOTyL4IGqFiqsY07MKROvw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DQOTyL4IGqFiqsY07MKROvw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D220.52087%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

At that right hand side where the lampost is (before the private road), there is a faint trail that leads off in the back of the bushes. It is a scramble at first, but the rest of the trail has ropes and is marked with ribbons. Leads all the way up, great views too!

IMG_20200807_watertank.jpg
IMG_20200807_watertank.jpg, by H.Lo

Can anyone read all the words on the wall?

Yesterday, I went there just the other way round, ie, from a dried up stream/small gully near Ming Villa, then down to 66 Deep Water Bay Rd, street  lamp #33393.

Coordinates of the box in the west: 

22.2473766, 114.1917863

IMG_20200807_overgrown.jpg
IMG_20200807_overgrown.jpg, by H.Lo
IMG_20200807_ring.jpg
IMG_20200807_ring.jpg, by H.Lo