Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The site of a Second World War coastal battery. Known as Hougham Battery, the site opened in 1942 and was armed with three 8-inch guns. The site was reduced to care and maintenance in November 1943. The site is visible as a series or structures, buildings and earthworks on aerial photographs taken in 1946. Aerial photographs taken in 2007 show that the site has been largely levelled. The westernmost gun emplacement appears to survive as a concrete plinth and a series of observation posts survive along the cliff edge.

Monument Types

• AIR RAID SHELTER (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BERM (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• COASTAL BATTERY (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• GUN EMPLACEMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• GUNPOST (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MAGAZINE (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY BUILDING (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• OBSERVATION POST (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• PILLBOX (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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Hougham Battery - 3 x 8in guns. Coast defence battery. Much of site buried by spoil from 1970s Channel Tunnel attempt. Ammunition site seems to survive above ground. Many concrete hut bases buried/destroyed during construction of new A20. Plotting room is just to S of A20 road.

Coastal battery. One 8in gun emplacement remains and is virtually entirely buried. Other emplacements have been destroyed in landscaping. Three buildings remain immediately to the N (100m), and there are also a further three buildings visible at the cliff face. A part-buried structure is 550m to the ESE at the cliff edge. Two partially protected rectilinear buildings lie 200m to the W. Battery also shares protected structures with Lydden Spout Battery [see UORN 9173]. [information from 1983 aerial photographs]. On the cliffs SE of West Hougham. (1)

Hougham Battery located at TR 290 395. The battery opened in 1942 and was armed with three 8-inch breech-loading guns. The site was reduced to care and maintenance in November 1943. The guns were positioned at TR 2905 3944, TR 2914 3948 and TR 2925 3954. The position finder was located at TR 2908 3921 and the radar (B6) at TR 2914 3925. (2-3)

Aerial photography from 1983 shows that one 8-inch gun emplacement survives and is mostly buried. Other emplacements have gone due to landscaping. Three buildings remain 100 metres to the north and another 3 buildings are visible at the cliff face. A partially buried structure is situated 550 metres towards the cliff edge and two partially protected rectilinear buildings are present 200 metres to the west. The battery also shares protected structures with Lydden Spout at TR 2850 3918, TR 2850 3946, TR 2884 3936 and TR 2886 3958. (4)

The site of a Second World War coastal battery. The site is visible as a series or structures, buildings and earthworks on aerial photographs taken in 1946. Aerial photographs taken in 2007 show that the site has been largely levelled. The westernmost gun emplacement appears to survive as a concrete plinth at TR 29049 39442, and a series of observation posts survive along the cliff edge between TR 29153 39252 and TR 28896 39134. These have been recorded separately as NMR: 1423503, 1423506 and 1423507. Two pillboxes have also been recorded separately as NMR: 1423503 and 1417089.

Only part of this battery extends into the project area of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey NMP (Component 2), and so only part of the site has been drawn, though the extent of the site has been outlined. The site comprises three gun emplacements, three magazines, a gunpost, three military buildings, two berms, an air raid shelter, three pillboxes three observation posts and a communication trench. Barbed wire obstruction surrounds the site (5-6).

C. Dobson, 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England: Coast Artillery 1900-1956 (Monograph). SKE52187.

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

<2> Dobinson, C., 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England. Volume 6.1. Coast Artillery, 1900-1956, 6.1 pp 152-161 (Monograph). SWX23710.

<3> Dobinson, C., 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England. Volume 6.2. Coast Artillery, 1900-1956, 6.2 pp 250,252 (Monograph). SWX23711.

<4> ?, Twentieth century military recording project: World War Two Coastal Batteries, pp 91 (Unspecified Type). SWX23712.

<5> RAF, 1946, NMR RAF/106G/UK/1093 4011-4012 03-JAN-1946 (Photograph). SWX23801.

<6> Vertical aerial photograph reference number (Unspecified Type). SWX23720.

Sources and further reading

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