It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.
| HER Number: | TR 23 NE 32 |
|---|---|
| Type of record: | Building |
| Name: | Abbot's Cliff Sound Mirror |
Sound mirror built in 1928 near the edge of Abbot's Cliff as part of a number of acoustic mirrors along the Kentish Channel cost. There was a timber operator's shed on the west side of the mirror but all traces of this building ahve now gone. The sound mirror system was abandoned in 1938 in favour of RADAR. The mirror exsists in good condiditon
Summary from record 1413672:
An Early Twentieth Century sound mirror was constructed at Abbot's Cliff in 1928 and is still extant on aerial photographs taken in 2007. A contemporary building platform is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs taken in 2007. An associated antenna is located 190 metres to the west, and is recorded as (NMR: 1534419). Two possibly associated buildings and a possible property boundary are located 12 metres to the east (NMR: 1534413). This 20ft (6.1m) mirror was built as one of a pair of mirrors to bracket the Acoustic Research Station at Hythe, the second mirror being located at Denge (NMR: 462809). This site has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey NMP (Component 2).
| Grid Reference: | TR 27180 38607 |
|---|---|
| Map Sheet: | TR23NE |
| Parish: | HOUGHAM WITHOUT, DOVER, KENT |
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Sound mirror built in 1928 near the edge of Abbot's Cliff as part of a number of acoustic mirrors along the Kentish Channel cost. There was a timber operator's shed on the west side of the mirror but all traces of this building have now gone. The sound mirror system was abandoned in 1938 in favour of RADAR. The mirror exsists in good condiditon.(1)
Description from record 1413672:
The mirror comprised a free-standing square block of concrete containing a shallow, concave dish 20ft (6.16m) in diameter. There is a separate rectangular concrete base at the back of the mirror and a small concrete apron in front. It is one of only five acoustic mirrors surviving in Kent. (1)
A sound mirror located at Abbot's Cliff (TR 270 388) built in 1928. Sound mirrors were designed to provide early warning of approaching enemy aircraft by detecting the sound of their engine over long distances. This 20ft (6.1m) mirror was built as one of a pair of mirrors to bracket the Acoustic Research Station at Hythe, the second mirror being located at Denge. The mirror could have been in use up until the 1930s when sound mirrors were replaced by radar technology. (2)
An Early Twentieth Century sound mirror was constructed at Abbot's Cliff in 1928 and is still extant on aerial photographs taken in 2007. The sound mirror is as described above by authorities 1 and 2. A contemporary building platform is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs taken in 2007. The building is centred on TR 27159 38599 and comprises a rectilinear enclosure defined by a broad bank which could be composed of the rubble of collapsed walls. This defines a building which measures 13 metres long by 8 metres wide. The building extends on a NW-SE orientation, along the edge of the cliff. A ground based photograph shows a timber hut at this location, related to the operation of the sound mirror.
An associated antenna is located 190 metres to the west, and is recorded as (NMR: 1534419). Two possibly associated buildings and a possible property boundary are located 12 metres to the east (NMR: 1534413). This site has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey NMP (Component 2) (3-4).
<1> Kent's Defence Heritage (Unspecified Type). SWX23588.
<1> Victor Smith and Andrew Saunders, 2001, Kent's Defence Heritage, KD157 (Unpublished document). SKE6956.
<2> Twentieth century fortifications in England, volume 7. Acoustics and radar: England's early warning systems 1915-1945, pp 8-19,156 (Unspecified Type). SWX23709.
<2> Burridge, David., 1997, 20th Century Defences in Britain: Kent, Pages 24 - 25 (Monograph). SKE7838.
| Cross-ref. | Source description |
|---|---|
| <1> | Unpublished document: Victor Smith and Andrew Saunders. 2001. Kent's Defence Heritage. KD157. |
| <1> | (No record type): Kent's Defence Heritage. |
| <2> | Monograph: Burridge, David.. 1997. 20th Century Defences in Britain: Kent. Pages 24 - 25. |
| <2> | (No record type): Twentieth century fortifications in England, volume 7. Acoustics and radar: England's early warning systems 1915-1945. pp 8-19,156. |
| TR 02 SE 12 | Part of: Acoustic Sound Mirrors at Greatstone-on-Sea, Lydd (Monument) |
| MWX51544 | Part of: Early Twentieth Century antenna array (Monument) |