Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The Drop Redoubt was a key element of the Western Heights fortifications. In 1861 a small Ablution Room, opposite the Soldiers’ Quarters, was constructed as a replacement for the wash house behind casemate 5 of the Soldiers’ Quarters. The new range of three buildings, parallel to and facing the Soldiers’ Quarters across the Parade Ground comprised, in the centre, a single building in which were combined Ablutions, Latrines, Bath Room and Cook House. Today, the range is largely ruinous. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• ABLUTIONS BLOCK (Demolished, Post Medieval to Modern - 1860 AD? to 1950 AD?)
• BATH HOUSE (Demolished, Post Medieval to Modern - 1860 AD? to 1950 AD?)
• COOKHOUSE (Demolished, Post Medieval to Modern - 1860 AD? to 1950 AD?)
• PRIVY HOUSE (Demolished, Post Medieval to Modern - 1860 AD? to 1950 AD?)

Full description

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Summarised from report:

The Drop Redoubt was a key element of the Western Heights fortifications. In 1861 a small Ablution Room, opposite the Soldiers’ Quarters, was constructed as a replacement for the wash house behind casemate 5 of the Soldiers’ Quarters. The new range of three buildings, parallel to and facing the Soldiers’ Quarters across the Parade Ground comprised, in the centre, a single building in which were combined Ablutions, Latrines, Bath Room and Cook House. Today, the range is largely ruinous. (1)

A plan dating to 1860, shows the fort immediately before the 1860's scheme of improvements is undertaken, it shows the interior features of the fort as they were left in 1815 alongside the proposed new strauctures, including the ne Ablutions/bath house, which is depicted as a small rectangular building, on the south side of the parade ground. (2)

An approved proposal drawing, dated 1861, shows a plan and elevation of the ablutions building, including labelled locations of the internal features. (3)

A plan of the fort which was surveyed in 1858, with annotations from 1871 and 1881, shows the structure in detail alongside all of the other major additions which were made to the fort under the 1860's scheme of improvements. (4)

<1> English Heritage, 2000, The Western Heights, Dover, Kent. Report No 3 The Drop Redoubt: A 19th-Century Artillery Fortification (Unpublished document). SKE13677.

<2> Unknown, 1860, Drop Redoubt, Dover, Plan, Sections and Elevation Shewing Proposed Alterations And Additions (Map). SKE51528.

<3> Unknown, 1861, Dover Defences Drop Redoubt, Plans, Sections and Elevations of Cook House, Ablutions Room, Bath House and Latrines. (Plan). SKE51451.

<4> War Department, 1871-1881, Dover Drop Redoubt Plan Shewing Occupation (Map). SKE51531.

Sources and further reading

Related records