Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

This feature is recorded in the English Heritage report on the Second World War Stop Line in the Hoo Peninsula. This feature comprises Second World War features relating to the Second World War Stop Line and defences of Lodge Hill Ordnance Depot. These features were located on a site previously used as a First World War Anti-Aircraft battery site (Scheduled).

Monument Types

• DEFENCE WORK (Modern - 1940 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Second World War features relating to the Second World War Stop Line and defences of Lodge Hill Ordnance Depot. These features were located on a site previously used as a First World War Anti-Aircraft battery site (Scheduled). This HER record shows the total area of these features, with individual monument records established for separate features, where identifiable.

These features are recorded in the English Heritage report on the Second World War Stop Line and notes that some features here are possibly pre-First World War, some First World War, some Second World War and some of undetermined date. Given the lack of clarity on the dating of some of the features, for completeness, the descriptions for all features are given below, along with references to the individual monument records. The monument record for the Scheduled First World War anti-aircraft battery is at TQ 77 SE 139.

Monument record TQ 77 SE 1355. Feature at TQ 7583 7412 – “Two conjoined rectangular platforms or enclosures, footings for an anti-aircraft battery adjacent to the west of the northern part of the First World War Lodge Hill Anti-aircraft Battery (NRHE 1442424). These earthworks could date from pre-First World War through to Second World War and so could be part of the defences of both Lodge Hill Ordnance Depot or the stop line. It may have also formed part of a local strong point around Lodge Hill House (English Heritage forthcoming, 9). A German map of 1940 bears a machine gun or anti-aircraft gun symbol at roughly this location, but this could refer to the First World War site. The earthworks appear as slight features on aerial photographs taken in 1944 but current condition is unknown. This area was surveyed in by English Heritage staff in March 2006 and is covered by the Scheduled area for Lodge Hill Anti-aircraft battery NHLE 1401714.”

Monument record TQ 77 SE 1356. Feature at TQ 7588 7402 – “A Second World War gun emplacement or light anti-aircraft battery on the north facing slope of Rough Shaw inside the northern perimeter of a defended locality (NRHE 1546483) centred on Lodge Hill First World War anti-aircraft battery (see NRHE 154694). The site comprised a concrete platform enclosed by a rectangular earthwork bank about 15m by 14.8m with a small concrete structure on its south western side. The structures associated with this gun emplacement were removed by 1952. A survey of the structures and earthworks was carried out by English Heritage staff in March 2006 (English Heritage forthcoming). The earthworks survived at least until 2013, although encroached upon by scrubby vegetation. Covered by the Scheduled area for Lodge Hill anti-aircraft battery.”

Monument record TQ 77 SE 1357. Feature at TQ 7586 7403 – “A gun emplacement or searchlight battery, of uncertain date, comprising three small circular emplacements. It is next to the southern gun emplacement of the First World War Lodge Hill anti-aircraft battery (NRHE 1442424). It could date from pre-First World War through to Second World War linked to the defence of Lodge Hill Ordnance Depot and/or the stop line. The earthworks appear as slight features on aerial photographs taken in 1944 but current condition is unknown. This area was surveyed in by English Heritage staff in March 2006. Covered by the Scheduled area for Lodge Hill anti-aircraft battery NHLE 1401714.”

Monument records - Second World War features TQ 77 SE 1358, First World War features TQ 77 SE 1359. The air-raid shelter mentioned below is also at TQ 77 SE 1245.
- Feature at TQ 7583 7403 – “Second World War defended locality or military installation, centred on the remains of the First World War anti-aircraft battery at Lodge Hill. The site comprised several gun emplacements and military support buildings, probably associated with Light Anti-aircraft positions, within a roughly rectangular barbed wire enclosure covering an area of about 3 ha. In total. It probably formed part of the defences of both Lodge Hill Depot and the stop line. A similar defended locality, also occupying the space between Lodge Hill Depot and the stop line, is located about 800m to the east (NRHE 1546575). The military support buildings some of which appear to have a First World War origin, comprise a row of six or seven temporary structures of various sizes. Additional small gun emplacements or weapons pits were located around the edges of the enclosure. Recorded on aerial photographs dating to between 1944 and 1947. The most substantial gun emplacements were recorded separately (NRHE 1546494, 1546504, and 1546546). A field visit in May 2015, observed the following: a probably entrance to an air raid shelter by the road on the southern edge of the site; a First World War building with a look out turret, possibly reused for a generator during the Second World War when entrances were inserted; building platforms and concrete pathways to the north of the surviving buildings. Possible early post medieval wood banks wood banks extend east from the site. The field to the south was not accessible during the field visit but low earthworks suggest buried remains of structures associated with the Lodge Hill battery. Partly covered by the Scheduled area for Lodge Hill anti-aircraft battery NHLE 1401714.” (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