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

• BARRACKS (Post Medieval to Modern - 1805 AD? to 1945 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 Staff Sergeants Quarters were an 8 by 2 bay building of two storeys and a half basement. It was divided into single heated rooms with three bays, at the north eastern end occupied by a library (first floor), mess (ground floor) and kitchen (basement). To the rear was a range of privvies. It stood in June 1942 by by August 1945 it had been demolished, possibly by enemy action, and replaced by two single storey structures, probably nissen huts.

The site of this building is divided by a strong scarp, 2m high, in part reflecting the stepped double pile plan of the original structure, with the half basement on a lower level. However, the step was probably accentuated by works for the two Second World War buildings and a large concrete floor, 48m by 12m, belonging to one of them, takes up most of the level.

The upper level is a recessed section of the north western terrace revetment wall, 2.32m high, and its curved corner into the north eastern wall, standing 2.73m high. The revetment wall has three verticle render strips, each 0.4m wide, marking the former positions of partitions, as it housed privvies. Beyond the western strip are three holes cut in the brickwork one above another and each 0.35m tall by 0.25m wide. There is no trace of the second world war building. (1)

Some remains relating the the former site of this building were located during evaluation trenching undertaken at the site by Canterbury Archaeological Trust in 2017. (2)

<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 Report No 4: The Grand Shaft Barracks, 19th and 20th-century infantry barracks (Unpublished document).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.

Sources and further reading

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