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Monument details

HER Number:TR 34 SW 621
Type of record:Monument
Name:Drop Redoubt, Western Heights, Dover

Summary

Brick fort built during the Napoleonic Wars replacing an irregular self-contained fieldwork, begun at the end of the 1780s. The pentagonal work was added to in the 1860s with a spur on the east from it's encircling ditch to the cliff edge and another running west. In 1851 the Redoubt was armed with 3 x 24 pounder guns, 6 x 12 pounders and an 8 inch mortar. Following its remodelling in the 1860s, it was re-armed with 7inch breech-loaders. Smoothbore guns were mounted in the caponiers for ditch defence. The Drop Redoubt was used during the Second World War but, abandoned shortly afterwards.

Images

The Drop Redoubt, Dover Western Heights   © Kent County Council
Grid Reference:TR 3156 4114
Map Sheet:TR34SW
Parish:DOVER, DOVER, KENT

Monument Types

  • BARRACKS (Post Medieval to Modern - 1800 AD to 1945 AD)
  • FORT (Altered 1860's, Post Medieval to Modern - 1800 AD to 1945 AD)
  • MAGAZINE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1800 AD to 1945 AD)
  • RAMPART (Post Medieval to Modern - 1800 AD to 1945 AD)
Protected Status:Scheduled Monument 1020298: FORTIFICATIONS, ROMAN LIGHTHOUSE AND MEDIEVAL CHAPEL ON WESTERN HEIGHTS

Full description

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Brick fort built during the Napoleonic Wars replacing an irregular self-contained fieldwork, begun at the end of the 1780s. The pentagonal work was added to in the 1860s with a spur on the east from it's encirling ditch to the cliff edge and another running west. In 1851 the Redoubt was armed with 3x 24 pdrs, 6 x 12 pdrs and an 8" mortar. Following its remodelling in the 1860s, it was re-armed with 7" breech-loaders. Smoothbore guns were mounted in the caponiers for ditch defence. The Drop Redoubt was used during the Second World War but, abandoned shortly afterwards. The earthworks, located next to the 'terreplein', form of a complex of trenches and are of mainly First and Second World War origin, some used perhaps for training purposes. The internal buildings fall into three blocks: the Guard House and Officers' Quarters lining a sunken elongated courtyard; the Soldiers' Quarters and Ablutions/Staff Sergeants' Quarters facing across the Parade Ground; the Main Magazine. The defences are represented by a rampart and ditch; the scarping of the hillside; the main entrance; the 'terreplein'; the parapet; and four 'caponiers'. (1-6)

From the National Heritage list of England:

The defences on Western Heights were initially begun in 1779 during the war with America, Spain, Holland and France, and although in 1781 the Board of Ordnance purchased 33 acres of land, by the end of the war in 1783 the works were still not completed. A map of 1784 shows a bastioned fort on the site of the present Drop Redoubt, a series of earthwork batteries and a second bastioned work extending for the full width of the western side of the plateau. A 350m length of bank and double ditch situated on the scarp between the present Citadel and North Centre Bastions probably belongs to this early building phase. Little further work was done at the site until the outbreak of war with France in 1793. Between 1793 and 1796, 4,885 pounds was spent on building, but this ceased entirely from 1797 to 1804. Following a renewed invasion scare, during 1803-1804 plans were drawn up by Captain William Ford to enhance the existing fortifications with the intention of housing a garrison of sufficient size to secure the Heights against attack, whilst enabling it to direct flanking fire onto any invasion force attempting to assault the town and port from the west. The defences were to consist of a main defensive point or citadel on the western side of the Heights and a redoubt on the eastern side linked by strong defensive lines; their construction began in April 1804 under the direction of Lt Col William Twiss. The Drop Redoubt was built between 1804 and 1815 and commands extensive views of the town, harbour and castle. It has bomb proof barracks for 200 men and was intended to mount 12 of the heavy 24 pounder guns, with two carronades for close protection. When initially begun, the Citadel consisted of a large parade ground surrounded by store houses, barracks, magazines and an unrevetted defensive ditch. It was originally planned to arm the Citadel with forty-three 18 pounder guns, and 31 carronades. Water for the barracks was supplied via a well 130m in depth. (7)

further information about the historical developmen of this fort is available within the Built Heritage Conservation Framework for Dovers Western Heights. (8)


1952, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SKE1.

<1> Victor Smith and Andrew Saunders, 2001, Kent's Defence Heritage (Unpublished document). SKE6956.

<2> Bennett, D., 1977, A Handbook of Kent's Defences 1540-1945 (Monograph). SKE7811.

<3> Doug Crellin, 1973, 19th Century Fortifications, Dover - Part 1 (Article in serial). SKE7826.

<4> Doug Crellin, 1973, Dover's 19th Century Fortifications - Part 2 (Article in serial). SKE7827.

<5> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1990, Dover Western Heights: Grand Shaft Barracks: An Interim Archaeological Assessment Preparatory to Evaluation (Unpublished document). SKE6727.

<6> English Heritage, 2000, The Western Heights, Dover, Kent. Report No 3 The Drop Redoubt: A 19th-Century Artillery Fortification (Unpublished document). SKE13677.

<7> Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

<8> Liv Gibbs, 2012, Built Heritage Conservation Framework for Dover Western Heights (Unpublished document). SKE17708.

<9> Kent Defence Research Group, c. 1993, Kent Defence Research Group 'Fort Logs' (Unpublished document). SKE52251.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
---Photograph (Print): 1952. Photograph. Black and White. Negative.
<1>Unpublished document: Victor Smith and Andrew Saunders. 2001. Kent's Defence Heritage.
<2>Monograph: Bennett, D.. 1977. A Handbook of Kent's Defences 1540-1945.
<3>Article in serial: Doug Crellin. 1973. 19th Century Fortifications, Dover - Part 1.
<4>Article in serial: Doug Crellin. 1973. Dover's 19th Century Fortifications - Part 2.
<5>Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 1990. Dover Western Heights: Grand Shaft Barracks: An Interim Archaeological Assessment Preparatory to Evaluation.
<6>Unpublished document: English Heritage. 2000. The Western Heights, Dover, Kent. Report No 3 The Drop Redoubt: A 19th-Century Artillery Fortification.
<7>Index: Historic England. National Heritage List for England.
<8>Unpublished document: Liv Gibbs. 2012. Built Heritage Conservation Framework for Dover Western Heights.
<9>Unpublished document: Kent Defence Research Group. c. 1993. Kent Defence Research Group 'Fort Logs'.

Related records

TR 34 SW 1909Parent of: Defensive Ditch of the Drop Redoubt, Western Heights, Dover (Monument)
TR 34 SW 2074Parent of: Eastern Gun Rooms at the Drop Redoubt Fort of the Western Heights, Dover (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1920Parent of: First and second world war slit trenches on the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 2796Parent of: Napoleonic layout of the Drop Redoubt (Monument)
TR 34 SW 2073Parent of: Possible earliest layout of the Drop Redoubt Fort on the Western Heights, Dover (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1910Parent of: Ramparts of the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1919Parent of: Second World War Observation post of the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1938Parent of: Staff Seargents Quarters of the Drop Redoubt, Western Heights, Dover (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1918Parent of: The Ablutions, Latrines, Bath Room and Cook House of the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1912Parent of: The Caponiers of the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1911Parent of: The Curtain and Counterscarp walls of the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1915Parent of: The Guard House and officers quarters of the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1914Parent of: The Main Magazine of the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1917Parent of: The Parade ground of the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1937Parent of: The scarping of the hillside at the Drop Redoubt, Western Heights, Dover. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1916Parent of: The Soldiers quarters of the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 1913Parent of: The Terreplein of the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights. (Monument)
TR 34 SW 2075Parent of: Western Gun Rooms at the Drop Redoubt Fort of the Western Heights, Dover (Monument)
TR 34 SW 82Part of: Western Heights, Dover (Monument)