Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Second World War concrete road block buoy / tank trap formerly stood in-situ along an ancient pre-1600 manorial trackway known as West Court Lane. They were removed post-2018

Monument Types

• ROADBLOCK (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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Second World War concrete road block buoy / tank trap in intended location along an ancient pre-1600 manorial trackway known as West Court Lane. The road buoy formed part of a local strategic line of WWII defensive structures aimed at preventing a land invasion from the sea along the River Thames using geographically strategically positioned local roads such as West Court Lane as a landing point connection towards the RAF Gravesend fighter station, particularly during the battle of Britain of 1940 but also throughout the duration of the war. The monument has group association with the road block buoys at East Court farm. Together they potentially formed a road blockade along Lower Higham Road.

2021: "Recent desk based research has revealed the presence of additional concrete buoys of the same type and form as the related records both at West Court Lane and at East Court farm. The additional concrete buoys and stone plinth are located at the roadside verge along Lower Road where the parish boundary of Chalk intersects the highway. Recent works on construction of a gas pipeline has revealed the buoys back in 2008. Images of the buoys show them to feature a hollow atop the stone. The image shows one buoy being used as a base plinth for a road sign. Further evidence of the their use as a base plinth for a highway sign can be seen at the related East Court farm HER record.

The location of the concrete buoys on the present day muncipal borough of Gravesend boundary is significant and indicates the buoys additional functional use as boundary marker stones. The presence of boundary stones at this precise location is marked on the Ordnance Survey map. With reference to the road buoys at West Court Lane, it is noted that the Ordnance Survey 1:2:500 map series indicated the presence of a 'stone' marking the beginning of the right of way known as West Court Lane."


Owner: Private

Publicly accessible: No

How accessed for survey: The property on which the buoys are situated is private but they can be seen from West Court Lane.

Tourism potential: Yes, especially educational teaching for school children and for regular local history walks in the area.

Condition: Very good, unaltered.

Date of visit: 30 January 2020

In September 2018 a pre-demolition historic building survey was completed at The Bailff's Cottage, and the road buoys are visible in some of the photographs taken as a record of the cottage. (1)

Since 2018 the buoys have been accidentally removed during development.

<1> Swale & Thames Archaeological Survey Company, 2019, Historic Building Record of Bailiff's Cottage, off Lower Higham Road, Gravesend, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE53550.

Sources and further reading

Related records