Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

An area of WWII earthworks visible in 1942 and 1946, located in St Margaret’s at Cliffe. The site was comprised of slit trenches in a stepped formation, with small circular ditches which appear to be related. The site probably functioned as an area of civilian shelters. The site was no longer visible in 1950 and was partially built upon as of 2007.

Monument Types

• BOMB CRATER (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• DITCH (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• SLIT TRENCH (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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An area of WWII earthworks visible on aerial photography taken in 1942 and 1946 [1, 2], located in St Margaret’s at Cliffe. The site was comprised of slit trenches in a stepped formation, with small circular ditches which appear to be related. The total site was 180m x 150m, with slit trenches totalling a length of 50m, banked craters of 7-8m in diameter and small ditches of approximately 2m diameter. 450m to the W of the site there was an area of slit trenches and other earthworks which would most likely have been used as shelters, probably for civilians (these lay outside the SE RCZAS study area, so have not been mapped or recorded). Thus this site probably also functioned as an area of civilian shelters. The site was no longer visible on aerial photographs taken in 1950 [3] and Next Perspectives photography showed that the site was partially built upon as of 2007 [4].

A transcription of the features recorded from aerial photographs exists within a GIS layer held by this HER.

<4> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: TR3644 28-APR-2007_Updates (Graphic material). SWX15711.

Sources and further reading