Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During the East Kent Access Route excavations (2009-2011) in zone 20 (east), a 200m length of Second World War defensive trench was discovered, part of the southern defences of Manston Airfield. The remains of a possible command bunker were also discovered.

Summary from record TR 36 NW 1221:

Zig-zag trench system visible as earthworks 1946 aerials. Structure present amidst these trenches not present in the 1942 aerial.

Monument Types

• BUNKER (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• DEFENCE LINE (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• GUN EMPLACEMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• PATH (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• RADAR STATION (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• REVETMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• TRENCH (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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During the East Kent Access Route excavations (2009-2011) a number of elements of a zig-zag defensive trench were found in zones 19 and 20. The trench was part of the defences of Manston Airfield. The group of features included zig-zag trenches of at least two forms, extending over 400m east and west from a possible command bunker along the crest of the hill. Limited investigation indicated the presence of contaminated deposits and the trenches were subject to further recording during decontamination works, showing the surviving trenches to be relativelynarrow and deep, less than 1m wide and up to 1m deep.(1-2)

Description from record TR 36 NW 1221: Zig-zag trench system visible as earthworks 1946 aerials. Structure present amidst these trenches not present in the 1942 aerial. (3)

A revetted zig-zag trench forming part of a Defence Line of Second World War date was visible as earthworks in RAF/HLA/564 V 6043 01-JUN-1942, RAF/HLA/564 V 6029 01-JUN-1942 and RAF/HLA/564 V 6045 01-JUN-1942. It was positioned to the south side of the former course of the Cliffs End road, on the south side of RAF Manston. The western section of the Defence Line was already being infilled by the time these RAF photographs were taken in June 1942. A gun emplacement was placed at the very western end of the Line. An earthwork mound supporting a small structure on top, part way along the Line may represent the 'command bunker' referred to by authority (1). A second gun emplacement stood to the east side of the mound.

By April 1944 the eastern part of the Defence Line's trenches had been levelled and infilled, along with most of the western part and the western gun emplacement. Parts of the reclaimed ground were being used to store materials and vehicles during the construction of RAF Manston's crash runway (1943-44). An antennae was placed on top of the mound, accessed by a path on the north side, with a small structure built into the west side of the mound, forming a direction finding or radar station (US/7PH/GP/LOC286 V 5010 19-APR-1944).

These features were recorded as levelled earthworks and demolished structures on Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 07-APR-2021 and were mapped as part of the Historic England Isle of Thanet project in 2024. A slight discrepancy between the spatial positioning of the mapped features and the plan of the smaller, excavated, proportion may be due to differences between georeferenced and rectified RAF imagery with relatively poor ground control and the georeferenced excavation plan. (4-8)

<1> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2011, East Kent Access (Phase II), Thanet, Kent: Post-Excavation Assessment Volume 1 (Unpublished document). SKE29279.

<2> Andrews et al, 2015, Digging The Gateway: Archaeological Landscapes of South Thanet. The Archaeology of East Kent Access (Phase III) Vol 1: The sites (Monograph). SKE55517.

<3> RAF, 1946/7, 1946/47 RAF aerial photograph run (Photograph). SKE31381.

<4> Historic England Archive, 1941-1960, Historic England Archive RAF vertical aerial photographs, RAF/HLA/564 V 6043 01-JUN-1942 (Archive). SKE57101.

<5> Historic England Archive, 1941-1960, Historic England Archive RAF vertical aerial photographs, RAF/HLA/564 V 6029 01-JUN-1942 (Archive). SKE57101.

<6> Historic England Archive, 1941-1960, Historic England Archive RAF vertical aerial photographs, RAF/HLA/564 V 6045 01-JUN-1942 (Archive). SKE57101.

<7> Historic England Archive, 1944, Historic England Archive USAF vertical aerial photographs, US/7PH/GP/LOC286 V 5010 19-APR-1944 (Archive). SKE57114.

<8> Next Perspectives, 2003-2021, Next Perspectives APGB orthophotography, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 07-APR-2021 (Archive). SKE57110.

Sources and further reading

Related records