Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Most of the original ancillery structures, comprising stores, canteens and workshops etc were situated on the south western side of the barracks complex. These structures included a cook house which was a free standing building of single pile plan. Remains of the building were uncovered during an archaeological evaluation undertaken at the site in 2017. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• COOKHOUSE (Demolished, Post Medieval to Modern - 1805 AD? to 1960 AD?)

Full description

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Most of the original ancillery structures, comprising stores, canteens and workshops etc were situated on the south western side of the barracks complex. These structures included a cook house which was a free standing building of single pile plan. It is likely that this building was constructed in anticipation of the requirements of the 1858 commission. Today this cook house is partially obscured by soil erosion from the slope to the south west. However there are two sections of wall on that side, both around 1m high: one is part of the building, the other is part of the revetment. (1)

Remains of the building were uncovered during an archaeological evaluation undertaken at the site in 2017, these remains included wall foundations and flooring once belonging to this cook house. (2)

The earliest plan which shows the completed Napoleonic works which were undertaken at the Grand Shaft Barracks dates to 1810. (3) A later plan which dates to 1861, immediately prior to the 1860's scheme of works which were undertaken at the barracks site, gives further detail of the buildings constructed during the Napoleonic works, including lables of specific buildings. (4)

<1> RCHME, 2000, The Western Heights, Dover, Kent. Report No 4: The Grand Shaft Barracks, 19th and 20th-century infantry barracks (Unpublished document). SKE17499.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2018, Grand Shaft Barracks, Western Heights, Dover, Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SKE51431.

<3> Major W H Ford, Royal Engineers, 1811, Plan Shewing the Appropriation of the Ordnance Lands on the Western Heights Dover 1811 (Map). SKE51523.

<4> Unknown, 1861, Dover, General Plan of the Western Heights Barracks (Plan). SKE51541.

Sources and further reading

Related records