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

This Coast Battery was built in 1941 to emplace three 6 inch guns as part of Britains coast defence. These 6 inch guns were long range and also helped close the Channel to enemy shipping.

Monument Types

• BARBED WIRE ENTANGLEMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• COASTAL BATTERY (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• EARTHWORK (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• GUN EMPLACEMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY BUILDING (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• COASTAL BATTERY (Modern - 1942 AD? to 1956 AD?)

Full description

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The Battery was armed with three 6 inch guns in emplacements with overhead cover and sunken magazines Behind the battery was the domestic camp, an underground plotting room, there were also a battery observation post, engine rooms and searchlights. Three guns by February 1941, two guns recorded in 1952 and removed in 1956.
Owner : Public
Publicly accessible : Yes
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : Destroyed
Date of visit : 23/05/07

WWII Fan Bay coastal battery visible on aerial photography taken in 1942, 1945 and 1946 [2, 3 and 4], located in Fan Bay. The site spanned 600m x 280m and was comprised of a range of buildings. The three guns, each with a circular structure of 16m diameter and an embankment behind, were present at the SE of the site roughly 70m from the cliff edge. Two structures were located to the N of the emplacements, along with four banked and ditched earthworks and a large cut feature.

To the E lay a large complex of 40 structures laid out in a compact fashion in four lines, with a few scattered to the N and SW. These structures were surrounded by banking which ranged between 3m and 12m wide and one structure had an external blast wall. This was likely protective in some cases, though one of the banks contained a small structure and another a circular depression, which could indicate use as defensive shelters.

A trapezoidal area of barbed wire encircled a further seventeen structures, seven of which had blast walls. Two extents of area, possibly building foundations were also protected by blast walls. Four banked earthworks resided within the barbed wire, two of which were likely gun emplacements. An aerial was also located amongst the structures. Three structures lay just outside the barbed wire to the S. N of the barbed wire enclosure lay seven banked features which were likely gun emplacements, three structures and a length of barbed wire.

All elements were still visible on aerial photography taken in 1949 [5]. No elements of the site could still be seen on aerial photography taken in 1978 [6]. Next Perspectives photography taken in 2007 [7, 8] showed no features of the site, excepting parch marks from the three emplacements and the pathway which ran behind them.

This battery lay NE of a WWII firing range (MWX43563), S of the Martin Mill military railway (MKe17265) and Wanstone Battery (MKe17934 and Mke41971). This site is also recorded by the National Monuments Record as (NMR1423672).

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

Verbal Communication (Verbal communication). Ske14126.

<7> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: TR3442 28-APR-2007_Updates (Graphic material). SWX15711.

<8> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: TR3542 28-APR-2007_Updates (Graphic material). SWX15711.

<9> National Trust, 2011, Archaeological Assessment of coastland from Langdon Hole to South Foreland Lighthouse (Unpublished document). SKE31203.

Sources and further reading