Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Second World War zig-zag trenches, St Nicholas at Wade.

Monument Types

• TRENCH (Modern - 1901 AD to 2050 AD)
• DEFENDED LOCALITY (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• REVETMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• SLIT TRENCH (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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Second World War zig-zag trenches and redoubt visible on 1946/7 aerial photographs. The trench line runs for more than 600m along the south side of St Nicholas at Wade village and was part of the outer defences of that defended locality. (1)

Traces of the course of a substantial section of Second World War trench network and associated defences are visible as cropmarks, earthworks and levelled earthworks on aerial photographs. This record includes the part of the defensive system extending north-westwards from fields south of St Nicholas Corner, around the southern side of the village, as far as St Nicholas Court. As well as the generally linear trenches, the system included T-trenches, hexagonal trenches and revetments. These features are part of the defences constructed around St Nicholas at Wade during 1940-41 forming a Defended Area.

The trenches have been recorded largely as cropmarks from later aerial photographs and as levelled earthworks from a USAF flight taken in April 1944, but a small number of RAF vertical photographs taken in December 1941 record extant portions of the defence system. All traces have been infilled or removed. These features were mapped as part of the Historic England Isle of Thanet project in 2024. (2-9)

<1> RAF, 1946/7, 1946/47 RAF aerial photograph run, r54photo3043 (Photograph). SKE31381.

<2> Historic England Archive, 1941-1960, Historic England Archive RAF vertical aerial photographs, RAF/HLA/383 RS 957 28-DEC-1941 (Archive). SKE57101.

<3> Next Perspectives, 2003-2021, Next Perspectives APGB orthophotography, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 14-APR-2015 (Archive). SKE57110.

<4> Next Perspectives, 2003-2021, Next Perspectives APGB orthophotography, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 21-APR-2007 (Archive). SKE57110.

<5> Historic England Archive, 1920-2024, Historic England Archive Specialist oblique aerial photographs, NMR 26981/41 01-JUN-2011 (Archive). SKE57106.

<6> Historic England Archive, 1944, Historic England Archive USAF vertical aerial photographs, US/7PH/GP/LOC295 V 5005 20-APR-1944 (Archive). SKE57114.

<7> Historic England Archive, 1941-1960, Historic England Archive RAF vertical aerial photographs, RAF/106G/UK/1110 RS 4141 10-JAN-1946 (Archive). SKE57101.

<8> Next Perspectives, 2003-2021, Next Perspectives APGB orthophotography, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 21-APR-2007 (Archive). SKE57110.

<9> Historic England Archive, 1920-2024, Historic England Archive Specialist oblique aerial photographs, NMR 26981/36 01-JUN-2011 (Archive). SKE57106.

Sources and further reading

Related records