Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

A Second Second World War zig-zag slit trench system extended for more than 1.3 km running east-west north of St Nicholas at Wade. It included a hexagonal strong point and "T" observation points. It is visible on 1946/7 aerial photographs.

Monument Types

• DEFENDED LOCALITY (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• TRENCH (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

A First or Second Second World War zig-zag slit trench system extended for more than 1.3 km running east-west north of St Nicholas at Wade. It included a hexagonal strong point and "T" observation points. It is visible on 1946/7 aerial photographs. (1, 2)

Cropmark traces of the course of a substantial section of Second World War ditch and associated defences extending for over 1.5 km from west of Wade House to St Nicholas Roundabout to the north of the A299 (Thanet Way). This is part of the defences with were constructed around the village of St Nicholas at Wade between 1940-1941 forming a Defended Area. The trenches have been recorded largely as cropmarks on later aerial photographs, but a small number of RAF photographs taken in December 1941 show extant sections of ditch and record an outer length of embankment mirroring the trench to the east of Shuart Lane between the A299 and Shuart. No trace remains. This raises the question as to whether more embanked defences were constructed for a brief period at the start of the war.

Parts of the defences were recorded as extant earthworks on wartime photographs whilst other sections were first seen already infilled by 1944. All traces have been infilled or removed and only visible as cropmarks.These features were mapped as part of the Historic England Thanet Landscape Mapping Project 2024 (3-10).

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

<2> Mark Samuel, 2015, Defence of Thanet Project: verbal communication from Mark Samuel (Verbal communication). SKE30957.

<3> Historic England Archive, 1941-1960, Historic England Archive RAF vertical aerial photographs, RAF/HLA/383 RS 961 28-DEC-1941 (Archive). SKE57101.

<4> Historic England Archive, 1944, Historic England Archive USAF vertical aerial photographs, US/7PH/GP/LOC286 V 5008 19-APR-1944 (Archive). SKE57114.

<5> Historic England Archive, 1920-2024, Historic England Archive Specialist oblique aerial photographs, NMR 4137/27 18-JUL-1988 (Archive). SKE57106.

<6> Next Perspectives, 2003-2021, Next Perspectives APGB orthophotography, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 21-APR-2007 (Archive). SKE57110.

<7> Next Perspectives, 2003-2021, Next Perspectives APGB orthophotography, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 14-APR-2015 (Archive). SKE57110.

<8> Historic England Archive, 1920-2024, Historic England Archive Specialist oblique aerial photographs, HEA 29754/30 29-JUN-2015 (Archive). SKE57106.

<9> Google.Com, 1960-2023, Earth.Google.Com orthophotography, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 12-1960. ACCESSED 14-JUN-2024 (Archive). SKE57111.

<10> Google.Com, 1960-2023, Earth.Google.Com orthophotography, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 12_1990. ACCESSED 14-JUN-2024 (Archive). SKE57111.

Sources and further reading

Related records