During the extension works of the MTR Admiralty Station in 2013, an archaeological survey was made in the area of today's Harcourt Garden. It is the Archaeological Watching Brief for South Island Line (East) for MTR Corporation Ltd. from 2013.
This area was occupied by the Wellington Barracks and the Wellington Battery. In the report it is referred that the battery – as shown on maps from 1854 onwards – has been built on reclaimed land. During the archaeological survey, fragments of the seawall from that time have been discovered (see figures 14a-d in the report) and the two photos below:
As the area has gone extensive construction works in the years after the closure of Wellington Barracks, only this part survived. In some areas only the foundation blocks are still there.
The seawall fragments found fit comparably well into a short western part of the former battery (see the overlay of the battery (from c.1850-80) with a current topographical map here).
The battery went out of use c. 1888, in front of the former battery a new phase of reclamation started in 1902 and the seawall disappeared
Today, some of the seawall blocks are exhibited in Harcourt Garden (see here).
Photos that show this Place
