Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Several slit trenches and associated defensive features dating back to WWII and located within a military site north of River Stour, Pegwell Bay. The slit trenches have been mapped from military aerial photographs.

Monument Types

• MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1941 AD)
• MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1941 AD)
• MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY BUILDING (Modern - 1939 AD to 1941 AD)
• SLIT TRENCH (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• SLIT TRENCH (Modern - 1942 AD to 1945 AD)
• SLIT TRENCH (Modern - 1944 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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Several slit trenches and associated defensive features apparent at different times during WWII and located within a military site north of River Stour, Pegwell Bay. The military features and slit trenches have been mapped from military aerial photographs.

A majority of the slit trenches are already present by February 1941 [1&2] and are some of the earliest features apparent within this military complex, functioning as beach defence features. The longest stepped trench system extends around 300m and is parallel to the coast, situated close behind the anti-tank blocks. Two gun pits and a rectangular structure are visible at the northern tip of this trench, and were first visible at the same time as the trenching. The internal diameters of the gun pits measure 2.6m and 1.7m and the structure measures 5m by 3m. The eastern gun pit and structure are no longer visible by January 1942 [3] and the western gun pit is gone by Jan 1946 [5]. Located towards the centre of the main slit trench is another circular gun pit with an internal diameter of 2.8m. This feature was first visible in Feb 1941 [1&2] and is gone by Jan 1942 [3].

Three perpendicular branches extend SE-NW (90m), E-W (146m) and NE-SW (17m) from the main slit trench. The central trench is truncated with a rectangular structure measuring 5.8m by 4m, and a gun pit is sitauated just to the north with an internal length of 3.3m. At the western extent of the trench are two adjacent circular gun pits with internal diamters of 2.5m and 2m. All these features are gone by Jan 1942 [3].

By January 1942 the two longest branches of the trench system have been truncated by a barbed wire enclosure (MWX43203) but still appear to be in use on either side. This slit trench system appears out of use by April 1944 [4]. Two shorter lengths of stepped slit trench (35m and 22m) are visible to the north-west of the main trench system. The trenches are separated by a 10m gap and run parallel to Sandwich Road. They are no longer visible by January 1942 [3].

One L-shaped trench is visible by January 1942 [3] measuring just under 20m in total, located outside the barbed wire enclosure to the south of the military complex. A Z-shaped slit trench is also visible by January 1946 [5] (presumably built some time after April 1944), measuring 10m in total and is associated with an adjacent gun pit. These features are gone by March 2003 [6].

<6> Google Earth, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 5-MAR-2003 ACCESSED 7-APR-2010 (Graphic material). SWX15704.

Sources and further reading

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