Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

This feature is noted in the English Heritage report on the Second World War Stop Line in the Hoo Peninsula. The feature is part of Hoo Peninsula Stop Line from Lodge Hill to Wybornes Wood, Hoo Peninsula.

Monument Types

• STOP LINE (Modern - 1940 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Part of Hoo Peninsula Stop Line from Lodge Hill to Wybornes Wood, Hoo Peninsula as reported in the English Heritage report on the Second World War Stop Line from Hoo St Werburgh to Higham Marshes. The Stop Line was an integrated series of natural and manmade anti-invasion defences including anti-tank ditches, earth banking, pillboxes and anti-tank guns. The separate elements are reported in separate monument records.

Report states: "This section skirted the east side of Lodge Hill Ordnance Depot (NRHE 1077634) from the east gate of the depot at TQ 7739 7382 to the northeastern corner of Wybornes Wood at TQ 7715 7459 for a distance of 715m. Aerial photographs of 1944 show Wybornes Wood was used as part of the defensive line. There is no evidence of significant tree felling or re-growth before 1944 suggesting there was no anti-tank ditch through Wybornes Wood. Pillboxes were placed along the northern edge of the wood, overlooking the marshes. Several small gun emplacements and weapons pits were located at the edge of the cleared strip around the anti-tank ditch.

The earliest aerial photographs taken in 1944 show this section of anti-tank ditch was already out of use and being back-filled with mounds of earth visible alongside the former ditch. Sub-surface remains of sections of the ditch were indicated by cropmarks in pasture on aerial photographs of 2003 to the south of Wybornes Wood. There is intermittent evidence of a spread ditch in the area between the south east corner of Wybornes Wood and the First World War redoubt and pillbox to the south (observation from field visit in May 2015). (1)

<1> historic england, 2014, Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project: Second World War Stop Line: Hoo St Werburgh to Higham Marshes. Research Report 9-2014. (Bibliographic reference). SKE31599.

Sources and further reading

Related records