Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The original North-East Line was constructed in 1804-1816 between the Drop Redoubt’s eastern face and the escarpment at the south-eastern edge of the Heights. This ditch was replaced by another on a greater scale an on a slightly different alignment; it extended to the cliff face rather than the escarpment. It had a profiled rampart and banquette on its southern side and was defended by the eastern gun rooms at the Drop Redoubt. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• DITCH (Demolished, Post Medieval - 1804 AD? to 1859 AD?)
• DITCH (Disused, Post Medieval to Modern - 1859 AD? to 1945 AD?)
• SCARP (Disused, Post Medieval to Modern - 1859 AD? to 1945 AD?)

Full description

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Summarised from report:

The original North-East Line was constructed in 1804-1816 between the Drop Redoubt’s eastern face and the escarpment at the south-eastern edge of the Heights – demonstrates the response to the perceived risk that an attacking force might outflank the defences by moving down the eastern side of the Drop Redoubt. Offensive firepower was concentrated on the Drop Redoubt’s terre-plein rather than on the Line itself. The North-East Line is one of the stretches of Lines constructed to create an entrenched encampment or fortress on the hilltop to protect a large field force in garrison quarters who could not be accommodated in the Citadel and Drop Redoubt. Between 1859 and 1862 a new North-East Line was constructed on a greater scale. It had a profiled rampart and banquette on its southern side constructed on a slightly different alignment from the earlier North-East Line so it extended between the Drop Redoubt’s eastern face and the cliff-edge (rather than the escarpment) to the south- east. It demonstrates the perceived inadequacy of its predecessor, and the contemporary concern to ensure the impregnability of the fortress’s circuit of defences on all parts of the hilltop. The Line lacked its own firepower, which was instead provided in the form of offensive and flanking firepower from the Drop Redoubt at terre-plein level and from its three East Gun Rooms, supplemented by infantry using muskets on the Line’s rampart. At some point between 1939 and 1941 the North east Line was hit by a bomb, this bomb damage now proveds access to the Line and to the Drop Redoubt from the south. (1)

<1> Liv Gibbs, 2012, Built Heritage Conservation Framework for Dover Western Heights (Unpublished document). SKE17708.

Sources and further reading

Related records