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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 76 NE 76
Type of record:Monument
Name:Site of telegraph station, Chatham

Summary

Chatham is listed as a station on Watson's telegraph stations between London and the South Foreland, constructed in the early 1840's. The exact location is unknown; Dorland Hill, south of the main road between Chatham and Rainham, or the rising ground behind Rainham are likely positions.

Grid Reference:TQ 78 65
Map Sheet:TQ76NE
Parish:ROCHESTER & CHATHAM, MEDWAY, KENT

Monument Types

  • (Former Type) RADIO TELEGRAPHY STATION (Undated)
  • (Former Type) LISTENING POST? (Post Medieval - 1840 AD? to 1840 AD?)

Full description

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Chatham is listed as a station on Watson's telegraph between London and the South Foreland, constructed in the early 1840's. The actual siting has defied identification. Possibly Chatham was the nearest port town. Dorland Hill, S of the main road between Chatham and Rainham, or the rising ground behind Rainham are likely positions, maintaining the direction of the line towards Sheppey. (Dorland Hill cannot be located but the name "Darland" occurs in several contexts on OS 1:10,000, 1981, S of the Rainham road at Chatham, centred approximately to TQ 785 657. Beacon Hill is shown at TQ 774 668). (1)

This site is also possible location of the early warning station for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) stationed at Biggin Hill Aerodrome. The increasing number of attacks on London during the First World War led to a need to have an integrated home defence system. The War Office with the RFC took an increasing role in home defence as the war progressed. The London Air Defence Area (LADA) was created from 1917–1918. This demanded the integrated reporting of sightings of enemy aircraft calling up aircraft from local areas. Wireless telegraphy had an increasingly important role to play in home defence as the war progressed and allowed an early warning system to be set up. The process led to a co-ordinated defence of areas. Stations were set up at various locations and were linked to specific RFC stations. National Archives file A1/305/15/226/164 suggests that by 1918 a number of RFC squadrons operated the wireless sets as part of the LADA. (2)


<1> The Old Telegraphs 1976 89 (G Wilson) (OS Card Reference). SKE50458.

<2> Oxford Archaeological South, 2016, First World War Wireless Stations in England. (Bibliographic reference). SKE31551.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>OS Card Reference: The Old Telegraphs 1976 89 (G Wilson).
<2>XYBibliographic reference: Oxford Archaeological South. 2016. First World War Wireless Stations in England.. [Mapped feature: #22164 wireless station, ]