In 1794 a coastal signal station, of the ball & flag type, was built on Ballard Down. Lieut Wm Osborne RN who commanded it for a few years, wrote in Aug 1796 'that within 20 yards of the signal house there is a most excellent place for erecting a two or three gun battery ... which would command the whole of Swanage Bay ... ' I believe that the signal station was located close to where the trig. pillar now stands. The 'excellent place' to which Osborne refers is directly south of the pillar and clearly seen as a cut into the side of the grassy slope. Is it known when the cut was made ?