Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A group of now demolished soldiers and officers accomodation blocks and associated buildings were arranged around the parade ground at the Western Heights (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information).

Monument Types

• OFFICERS MESS (Demolished, Post Medieval to Modern - 1805 AD? to 1960 AD?)

Full description

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The accomodation blocks were arranged around and overlooking the parade ground, as far as was possible, conforming to the accepted plan of the period. All of these were built as part of the original Napoleonic design and comprised large austere blocks of double-pile plan. Construction was of brick, laid to English-bond with flat arch window heads, deep sashes and half hipped slate roof concealing a central valley.

The Officers' Mess was set at a right angle to the Officers Quarters Range B, adjoining the south side of the yard, and defined by the north-eastern end of the parade ground. The site of the building is now divided in two by a short trackway, but the northern half is clearly defined by a rubble filled depression. A short section of brick walling 0.8m high, is part of the north-eastern ground floor wall. Part of a cross-axial parition wall is visible in the track surface. (1)

Wall foundations and a drain representing the former site of this building were uncovered during evaluation trenching undertaken by Canterbury Archaeological Trust at the site in 2017. (2)

The earliest plan which shows the completed Napoleonic works which were undertaken at the Grand Shaft Barracks dates to 1810. (3) A later plan which dates to 1861, immediately prior to the 1860's scheme of works which were undertaken at the barracks site, gives further detail of the buildings constructed during the Napoleonic works, including lables of specific buildings. (4)

<1> RCHME, 2000, The Western Heights, Dover, Kent. Report No 4: The Grand Shaft Barracks, 19th and 20th-century infantry barracks (Unpublished document). SKE17499.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2018, Grand Shaft Barracks, Western Heights, Dover, Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SKE51431.

<3> Major W H Ford, Royal Engineers, 1811, Plan Shewing the Appropriation of the Ordnance Lands on the Western Heights Dover 1811 (Map). SKE51523.

<4> Unknown, 1861, Dover, General Plan of the Western Heights Barracks (Plan). SKE51541.

Sources and further reading

Related records