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Monument details

HER Number:MWX43474
Type of record:Monument
Name:WWII defences, north of Richborough fort

Summary

Two sections of slit trenching are visible as earthworks on 1940s photographs. They are of castellated form and run along the cliff edge immediately north of Richborough fort. The features are not visible on recent aerial photographs and appear to have been plough-levelled.


Grid Reference:TR 32523 60462
Map Sheet:TR36SW
Parish:ASH, DOVER, KENT

Monument Types

  • SLIT TRENCH (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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Two sections of slit trenching are visible as earthworks on 1940s RAF vertical aerial photographs [1].

The trenches are of castellated form and run along the cliff edge immediately north of Richborough fort. The northern section runs for 85m and there is then a gap of 40m after which the southern section runs southwards for a further 140m. The features are not visible on recent aerial photographs and appear to have been plough-levelled [2].

These are one of several WWII defensive features recorded around Richborough fort, see Related Monuments.

Sections of this feature were also mapped by the English Heritage: Richborough Environs Project. A fuller extent of the trenching was revealed by analysis of aerial photographs as part of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment and the subsequent transcription of this feature exists within a GIS layer held by this HER [3].


<2> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Tile Ref:PGA_TR3260_2003-08-14 (Graphic material). SWX15711.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2009-10, South-East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - Aerial Photographic Transcriptions (Digital archive). SWX15705.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - (SE RCZAS) Phase 1: National Mapping Programme Report (Unpublished document). SKE25955.

<3> 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South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Components 1&2: Results of NMP Mapping (Unpublished document).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

Cross-ref. Source description
<2>Graphic material: Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage. 2003, 2007. Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data. Tile Ref:PGA_TR3260_2003-08-14.
<3>Unpublished document: 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.
<3>Unpublished document: Wessex Archaeology. 2011. South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - (SE RCZAS) Phase 1: National Mapping Programme Report.
<3>Digital archive: Wessex Archaeology. 2009-10. South-East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - Aerial Photographic Transcriptions.

Related records

MWX43455Parent of: WWII defences at Richborough Amphitheatre (Monument)
MWX43473Parent of: WWII defences, south of Richborough fort. (Monument)
MWX43472Parent of: WWII gun emplacements, Richborough. (Monument)
TR 36 SW 204Part of: Roman settlement at Richborough (Rutupiae) (Monument)
MWX43477Part of: WWII defences west of Richborough fort (Monument)
MWX43478Part of: WWII defences, Richborough Sluice (Monument)