Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

World War I Airship Station for the Royal Naval Air Service. A base for anti-submarine airships. The last hanger base was filled in some years ago and all that remains of the site now is a possible anti-tank block close to the road. Visible as cropmarks on Google Earth image 2nd May 2007.

Summary from record 1413688:

A First World War airship station is located at Capel-le-Ferne. The station opened in 1915 and was operational until 1919. The site is visible as a series of earthworks and structures on aerial photographs taken in 1946, though most of these have been levelled on aerial photographs taken in 1983. There is at least one earthwork still extant on aerial photographs taken in 2007, and the site is now a caravan park. The site comprises three, possibly four hangars connected by roads and a number of ancillary buildings suggested by further earthworks. This site has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey NMP (Component 2).

Monument Types

• AIRSHIP HANGAR (Modern - 1914 AD to 1918 AD)
• AIRSHIP STATION (destroyed, Modern - 1914 AD to 1918 AD)

Full description

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RNAS base for anti-submarine airships. Last hanger base filled in some years ago. What may be one anti-tank block close to road. Destroyed. (1)

See also (2).

Seen on Google Earth as a series of cropmarks on 2nd May 2007. (A Mayfield-HER officer).

The three HER points are centred on the positions of the three main structures visible on the 1946 Aerial photograph. Only one hangar is still standing in this photo, the other two structures appear to be rows of concrete blocks (?), perhaps mooring points? Or the foundations of hangars? Other examples seen at RNAS Mullion on the Lizard Peninsula Cornwall (A Mayfield HER officer/Ben Found Archaeology Officer).

Some blocks that possibly once formed part of the installation have been dumped in woodland nearby - TR 23 NE 35

Description from record 1413688:
CAPEL (Capel-le-Ferne/Folkestone) 2 miles from Folkestone Junction railway station 173/179 : (61)

TR260390 : Kent : 124 acres : 960 x 780 yards : 465 feet amsl.

Class C Airship Station (with sub-stations at Godmersham Park, Wittersham and Boulogne) for non-rigid airships RNAS/RAF 5.1915-8.1920. (1)

Documented. (2)

The site of a First World War airship station at Capel-le-Ferne. The station opened in 1915 and was operational until 1919. A number of airships were based here and carried out anti-submarine operations.

The station contained three airship hangars, a number of workshops and accommodation huts. Ex-army Beta, Delta and Gamma type airships were originally based at Capel. However this soon changed with the arrival of the "Submarine Scout" series (SS types) of airships and Capel became the main assembly and test-station for this type of airship. Kite balloons were also designed and built at Capel. In April 1918 the station was taken over by the RAF and the name changed to Folkestone. In the last year of the First World War between five and seven airships operated from Capel with airships also based at the satellite mooring sites at Godmersham Park and Wittersham. (3)

A First World War airship station is located at Capel-le-Ferne. The station opened in 1915 and was operational until 1919. The site is visible as a series of earthworks and structures on aerial photographs taken in 1946, though most of these have been levelled on aerial photographs taken in 1983. There is at least one earthwork still extant on aerial photographs taken in 2007, and the site is now a caravan park.

The site comprises three, possibly four hangars connected by roads and a number of ancillary buildings suggested by further earthworks. One of the hangars was extant as a structure on aerial photographs taken in 1946, though it had been demolished on aerial photographs taken in 1966. Two further hangars are defined by earthworks and concrete foundation pillars. A fourth possible hangar is indicated by as similar arrangement of concrete foundation piles, though the absence of associated earthworks may indicate that this hangar was never completed. This site has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey NMP (Component 2) (4-5).

RNAS Capel was a Class C Airship Station for non rigid airships and was operational from May 1915 to August 1920. The three hangars measured 1) 305'9" x 39'4" x 48'8", 2) 311'6" x 44'2" x 51'6", 3) 322' x 70' x 60'9". The hangars have all been demolished although the plan of the concrete base for No. 3 Hanger can be clearly seen on modern satellite aerial photographs of the site. It is understood that the pits where the airships were docked also survive, but are now in-filled. The concrete perimeter road also survives, having been incorporated into the layout of the present caravan park that occupies part of the former airstation site. (6)

Fleet Air Arm, 2016, Fleet Air Arm Officers Association. (Website). SKE31491.

<1> CBA Defence of Britain Project, 1994, Defence of Britain Site Report, Pers. Comm. David Burridge, KDRG/PSG/FSG (Bibliographic reference). SKE6447.

<1> Dobinson, C, 1996, Twentieth century fortifications in England, volume 1. Anti-aircraft artillery : England's air defence gunsites, 1914-46, pp 300 (Monograph). SWX23706.

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 2002/6, Defence of Kent database (Digital archive). SWX23603.

<2> Southern Water Services, 1993, Dover & Folkestone Wastewater Treatment scheme Environmental Statement (Unpublished document). SKE6815.

<3> THE MILITARY AIRFIELDS OF BRITAIN; SOUTHERN ENGLAND, KENT, HAMPSHIRE, SURREY AND SUSSEX, pp 251 (Unspecified Type). SWX23702.

<4> RAF, 1946, NMR RAF/106G/UK/1093 4001-4002 03-JAN-1946 (Photograph). SWX23795.

<5> Vertical aerial photograph reference number (Unspecified Type). SWX23765.

<6> Fleet Air Arm, 2016, Fleet Air Arm Officers Association., http://www.fleetairarmoa.org/fleet-air-arm-naval-air-stations (Website). SKE31491.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Aviation in Kent (Thematic Essay)