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

Second World War military coastal defence features south of Joss Bay, comprising two gun pits, a gun emplacement, two structures, barbed wire and a possible air raid shelter.

Monument Types

• AIR RAID SHELTER (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MACHINE GUN POST (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY BUILDING (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• NISSEN HUT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• PATH (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• PILLBOX? (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BARBED WIRE ENTANGLEMENT (Modern - 1942 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

Second World War military features erected as coastal defence measures, south of Joss Bay and include two gun pits,a gun emplacement, two structures, an air raid shelter and barbed wire, mapped from aerial photographs taken in May 1942 [1].

The possible air raid shelter is first visible in January 1941 [2] as a Nissen hut surrounded by a ditch and bank. By May 1942 the shelter has been covered by an earth bank. Beside this is a small machine gun emplacement that is visible since 1941 and has a circular pit less than a metre in diameter. Also visible in 1941 is a larger gun pit built using sandbags. Only visible in 1942 is a circular gun emplacement between the shelter and the larger gun pit.

Two possible pillbox are visible to the south of the shelter. Pathways link these structures to the road running parallel to the coastline and also to the air raid shelter. The most southerly structure is visible in 1941, whereas they are both apparent on the 1942 photo and are the only features within this monument that are still visible in April 1946 [3]. They are no longer visible on photographs taken in April 1950 [5].

Two lengths of barbed wire is visible only on the 1942 photograph and extend from the cliff edge to the road with the military features in between.

These military features may be associated with defending two tunnels (Mke17024) that descend from the cliff top down onto the beach below from being utilised by the enemy during the war.

A transcription of the features recorded from aerial photography exists within a GIS layer held by this HER [4].

<4> Wessex Archaeology, 2009-10, South-East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - Aerial Photographic Transcriptions (Digital archive). SWX15705.

<4> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - (SE RCZAS) Phase 1: National Mapping Programme Report (Unpublished document). SKE25955.

<4> Cornwall Council Historic Environment Projects and Gloucestershire County Council, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Components 1&2: Results of NMP Mapping (Unpublished document). SKE25954.

Sources and further reading

Related records