It was initially equipped with six 7" Armstrong Rifled Breech Loaders. These were replaced by four 7" and two 9" Rifled Muzzle Loaders in 1872, and six 9" Rifled Muzzle Loaders in 1893. The 9" guns took a team of 9 men to load and fire. These guns fired projectiles weighing 256 lbs. The 9" guns remained in place until 1903 when they were discarded by throwing them over the side of the cliff. These were later recovered and two are on display presently at the Old Battery. A deep ditch with a retractable bridge was dug into the chalk to protect the facility from ground attack from the island side. In 1885 a tunnel was dug towards the cliff face from the parade grounds. An elevator down to the beach was completed in 1887. Early searchlight experiments were conducted at the site between 1889 and 1892. The present observation post housing a searchlight was built in 1899.