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Monument details
| HER Number: | TR 23 NW 707 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Second World War anti-tank ditches around Folkestone |
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Summary
A series of anti-tank ditches were constructed around Folkestone during the Second World War. In some places these are visible in aerial photography dating from 1946/7 and on the ground today. The exact route, and the history of construction, is not available and further research is needed.
| Grid Reference: | TR 2164 3679 |
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| Map Sheet: | TR23NW |
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| Parish: | FOLKESTONE, SHEPWAY, KENT |
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| HAWKINGE, SHEPWAY, KENT |
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| HYTHE, SHEPWAY, KENT |
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Monument Types
- ANTI TANK DITCH (Modern - 1940 AD? to 1945 AD?)
| Protected Status: | Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Second World War anti-tank ditches on Cheriton Hill, 25m south of Crete Road West, Folkestone; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Second World War anti-tank ditches on Castle Hill, Folkestone; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Second World War anti-tank ditches on Round Hill, Folkestone; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Second World War anti-tank ditches, Sugarloaf Hill, Folkestone; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Second World War anti-tank ditches, Sugarloaf Hill, Folkestone |
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Full description
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A series of anti-tank ditches were constructed around Folkestone during the Second World War. These have been identified by aerial photography dating from 1946/7. it is possible that some were constructed before the War or were constructed for training purposes but further research would be needed to confirm this.(1)
In 2018 an archaeological evaluation involving the exavation of seven trenches was undertaken at Shorncliffe Garrison Area 1D. The topsoil was removed from an 8.5m² area over an air raid shelter to record the level of preservation. Three linear ditches in a zig-zag pattern were recorded within trench 2, on an alternating northeast/southwest and northwest/southeast alignment.The zig-zag ditches found in Trench 2 are almost perfectly aligned with WWII anti-invasion trenches recorded in 2014 after a walkover survey and consulting aerial photographs, as does ditch 503.Ditch 403 lines up relatively well with a former field boundary identified in the 2014 walkover survey, while its fill of metal pipes and barbed wire suggest that it was likely backfilled either during the construction of the WWII anti-invasion defences or when the defences were cleared after the war. Dating evidence from the site consisted of six sherds of ceramics and a glass marmite jar, all from a single feature. (2, 3)
<1> RAF, 1946/7, 1946/47 RAF aerial photograph run (Photograph). SKE31381.
<2> CgMs, 2018, Shorncliffe Garrison Area 1D, Folkestone, Kent: Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SKE52004.
<3> CgMs Consulting, 2014, Interpretative Walkover Survey. Land at Shorncliffe Garrison, Folkestone (Unpublished document). SKE31218.
Sources and further reading
| Cross-ref.
| Source description | | <1> | Photograph: RAF. 1946/7. 1946/47 RAF aerial photograph run. Black and White. Print. |
| <2> | Unpublished document: CgMs. 2018. Shorncliffe Garrison Area 1D, Folkestone, Kent: Archaeological Evaluation. |
| <3> | Unpublished document: CgMs Consulting. 2014. Interpretative Walkover Survey. Land at Shorncliffe Garrison, Folkestone. |
