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

Sandwich Bay Battery was built during World War Two as an Emergency Battery and was armed with two six inch guns.

Monument Types

• AIR RAID SHELTER (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BARBED WIRE ENTANGLEMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BUNKER (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• DITCH (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• GUN EMPLACEMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY BUILDING (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• PILLBOX (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• SEARCHLIGHT EMPLACEMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• SLIT TRENCH (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• COASTAL BATTERY (Modern - 1941 AD? to 1944 AD?)

Full description

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This site has been completely demolished and cleared away with no remains left. It would have consisted of two Gun Emplacements, Battery Observation Posts, Two Searchlight Emplacements, Magazines, Engine Rooms and a Domestic Camp Site. With in the boundaries of the Battery was the earlier Napoleonic Battery which still remains today. No Fort Record Book or any other information has been found regarding this site.
Owner : Private
Publicly accessible : Yes
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential : None
Condition : Destroyed
Date of visit : 14/11/06 [1]

Sandwich Battery, a WWII emergency battery visible on aerial photography taken in 1941, 1942 and 1945 [2, 3, 4 and 5], located in Sandwich Bay. The site was 1420 x 350m at maximum dimensions.

Working N to S, the site was comprised of: one pillbox visible in 1941 and 1942; a slit trench visible in 1942; a possible bunker visible in 1941 and 1942; a searchlight visible in 1941 and 1942; a slit trench visible in 1942; two gun emplacements visible in 1941 and 1942; an area of slit trenches visible in 1942 and freshly dug ditches which likely represented gun pits visible in 1942; a walled gun pit visible in 1941 and 1942; a pillbox visible in 1941 and 1942; a searchlight visible in 1941 and 1942; a ditched gun pit visible in 1942; two air raid shelters visible in 1942; a military building visible in 1941 and 1942; and an area of banking which may have covered a bunker visible in 1942. Pathways were seen to cross the site and enclosing the battery was between two and ten lines of barbed wire visible in 1942.

A redoubt was seen on the aerial photography in 1942 and 1945, but it was already mapped on 1938 historic OS mapping [6], so it was not re-mapped by the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey. The redoubt was a stepped V-shaped with the point facing ENE.

The redoubt could still be seen, but no other features were visible on Next Perspectives photography taken in 2003 [7, 8, 9 and 10].

A transcription of the features recorded from aerial photographs exists within a GIS layer held by this HER.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1928-1947, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 4th edition 1928-1947, 1938/1:2500 (Map). Ske12644.

<7> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: TR3557 14-AUG-2003 (Graphic material). SWX15711.

<8> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: TR3658 14-AUG-2003 (Graphic material). SWX15711.

<9> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: TR3657 14-AUG-2003 (Graphic material). SWX15711.

<10> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: TR3656 14-AUG-2003 (Graphic material). SWX15711.

Sources and further reading