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Battery Power!

What better way to welcome the arrival of Summer (it will be here soon, we promise!) than with a shoot at jj’s Exclusive location, The Battery?

Beach house exterior with bunting
A lovely deck awaits visitors; perfect for a rest in between takes!
The Battery is a beautiful beach house right on the seafront. The attached beach is part of the location, meaning no additional permits are required to shoot on the sand. At the helm of this nifty slice of the Kent coastline is owner Marilyn Phipps.
After many years lusting after “the blue house I always used to walk to”, Marilyn was thrilled to finally call The Battery her own in 1995.

Marylin outside The Battery
Owner Marilyn Phipps grew up locally and had long had her heart set on living in The Battery

Twenty one years on – fourteen of which Marilyn jokes were spent in dungarees, painting – the wooden beach house has been lovingly restored into an awe-inspiring home and first-class shoot location. Inside, the location has an unrivalled collection of vintage wares under its roof thanks to Marilyn’s eye for the perfect rare and quirky items that make this shoot location unique and inspiring. Outside the location also has a mature garden to the front of the house in addition to the aforementioned beach.

The Battery has a fascinating backstory to boot…

The Battery's blue interior
The nautical interiors of The Battery
As its name might suggest, it was originally built for a much more stony-faced purpose: a training base for naval reserves. Its proximity to the water made it ideal for target practice, some of these targets remained out at sea until recently. Fortunately, the only shooting the property has hosted recently has been done by cameras!

The Battery's lounge
One of several large rooms in The Battery, decked out with beautiful props.
The property has also been used as a convalescent home for soldiers during WW2, and later as a holiday home for children and families too poor to pay – Marilyn recalls that the house was full of metal bunk beds when she first moved in.

Marylin in her home, The Battery
Marilyn as photographed by jj founder Johnny Jones for his ‘Shoot the Owner’ photography project which featured some the U.K.’s most revered location houses and their owners.
You may not have got metal bunks in The Ritz, but it would have been a welcome, jolly coastal break for many city families in the halcyon days of the British seaside holiday. The bunks have now been replaced with a host of softer, colourful furnishings ready to attract filmmakers and photographers from the city instead. There is even a small annex where key members of the crew can stay overnight. Marilyn is also a whizz in the kitchen and has provided many crews with memorable tasty delights – we’re still receiving compliments to the chef from our clients who have shot a few years previously!

The view from the beach
A view from the beach of The Battery, a welcoming site from the shore.
Make the most of Summer with a shoot at The Battery. Get in touch with us on 020 7749 0500 or at locations@jjmedia.com to make your booking.
More images of The Battery can be seen here on jj Locations’ site
We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to The Battery!
Best wishes,
Emma