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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 67 SW 239
Type of record:Monument
Name:Large Gravel Pit, East of Southfleet Road, Swanscombe

Summary

Large chalk extraction site to the east of Southfleet Road supplying in the late 19th century Portland Cement works (now Blue Circle) to the east. Quarrying activity in this area initially started on a small scale on the eastern side of this area (a small pit is shown on the on the 1st Ed OS) but quickly expanded over a wide area, with extraction sites at Bakers Hole and Marl Pit. By the 1930s most of the site appears to be redundant, overgrown or backfilled and reused as sports fields or allotments. (location accurate to the nearest 10m based on available information)


Grid Reference:TQ 61079 73933
Map Sheet:TQ67SW
Parish:SWANSCOMBE AND GREENHITHE, DARTFORD, KENT

Monument Types

  • STONE QUARRY (Abandoned, Post Medieval to Modern - 1860 AD? to 1940 AD? (at some time))
  • MARL PIT (Abandoned, Post Medieval to Modern - 1862 AD? to 1940 AD? (at some time))
  • TRAMWAY (Demolished, Post Medieval to Modern - 1890 AD? to 1940 AD? (at some time))

Full description

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Large chalk extraction site to the east of Southfleet Road supplying in the late 19th century Portland Cement works (now Blue Circle) to the east. Quarrying activity in this area initially started on a small scale around TQ6121473995 on the 1st Ed OS, but quickly expanded over a wide area, with extraction sites at Bakers Hole and Marl Pit. (1-4) By the 1930s most of the site appears to be redundant, overgrown or backfilled and reused as sports fields or allotments. Presently, this stretch of land to the east of Swanscombe is under intense development with significant levels of re-landscaping, associated with the route of the CTRL. Industrial potential: LOW. If any Industrial buildings, features or sub-surface features remained, it is unlikely that they will survive the current works. (5)


<1> Ordnance Survey, 1858-73, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 1st Edition : 1872-1897 (Map). SWX11831.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1893-7, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 2nd edition : 1893-1898 (Map). SWX11832.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1905-10, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 3rd edition: 1901-1912 (Map). SWX11833.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1928-1947, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 4th edition 1928-1947 (Map). SKE12644.

<5> Essex County Council, 2003, Aggregates Levy Survey Industrial Sites, KN585 (Unpublished document). SKE12009.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1858-73. Ordnance Survey 1:2500 1st Edition : 1872-1897. 1:2500.
<2>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1893-7. Ordnance Survey 1:2500 2nd edition : 1893-1898. 1:2500.
<3>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1905-10. Ordnance Survey 1:2500 3rd edition: 1901-1912. 1:2500.
<4>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1928-1947. Ordnance Survey 1:2500 4th edition 1928-1947.
<5>XYUnpublished document: Essex County Council. 2003. Aggregates Levy Survey Industrial Sites. KN585. [Mapped feature: #103471 Quarry, ]