Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Most of the original ancillary structures, comprising stores, canteens, workshops, gardens etc. stood on terraces to the west of the main steps. On the lower terrace there were a series of structures, originally free standing, but by 1925, the gaps between them had been filled with further additions and extensions, the result was a continuous range of buildings. Two cook houses were located within these ancillery buildings, they were free standing buildings of single pile plan. (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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Summarised from report:

Most of the original ancillary structures, comprising stores, canteens, workshops, gardens etc. stood on terraces to the west of the main steps. On the lower terrace there were a series of structures, originally free standing, but by 1925, the gaps between them had been filled with further additions and extensions, the result was a continuous range of buildings. Two cook houses were located within these ancillery buildings, they were free standing buildings of single pile plan. The north-western, south-eastern and north-eastern walls of the first Cook House are visible, standing up to 1.4m high, but the latter deteriorates to a scarp. The south-western wall is barely visible on the surface of the platform but the revetment wall beyond it is up to 3m high, rebuilt with yellow stock brick in English bond over red brick in a random bond in its lower courses. Remains of a concrete floor lie between the revetment wall and the south-western wall. (1)

The earliest plan which shows the completed Napoleonic works which were undertaken at the Grand Shaft Barracks dates to 1810. (2) 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. (3)

<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 Report No 4: The Grand Shaft Barracks, 19th and 20th-century infantry barracks (Unpublished document).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> Major W H Ford, Royal Engineers, 1811, Plan Shewing the Appropriation of the Ordnance Lands on the Western Heights Dover 1811 (Map). SKE51523.

<3> Unknown, 1861, Dover, General Plan of the Western Heights Barracks (Plan). SKE51541.

Sources and further reading

Related records