Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Second World War PLUTO (Pipeline Under The Ocean) pumping station is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as extant buildings and structures to the north of Lade. Three buildings may have housed pumping stations, and two more provided staff quarters. The site also included a large cylindrical tower, possibly for fuel storage, and two very large irregularly-shaped pits. By the time of the next available vertical aerial photograph of 1959; the cylindrical tank had been removed, and the pits had been filled in. The buildings which housed the pumping stations and staff accommodation lie either side of Leonard Road, and are still in use as houses today. These features were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East RCZAS NMP project.

Monument Types

• PUMP HOUSE (Modern - 1944 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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The site is centred at TR 0822 2114, and is extends across an area measuring approximately 102m north to south and 178m east to west. A large cylindrical tower of 16m in diameter is centred at TR 0818 2111. It appears to be based on a circular concrete hard-standing of 33m in diameter. Just to the west of the tank, two large pits can be seen on the aerial photographs (discussed below). To the north-east of the tank, the possible pumping stations and staff accommodation blocks were located either side of Leonard Road. The three possible pumping stations lie on the western side of the road; with the two blocks of staff quarters to the east. These buildings are extant on aerial photographs of 1942, and were therefore likely to have been houses converted or adapted for their PLUTO role. To avoid detection by enemy bombers; these buildings were not externally different to others in the area, and therefore do not have a characteristic appearance identifiable from aerial reconnaissance as a PLUTO site. They have been interpreted as such on the basis of information from online sources (see Sources section below).

The exact function of the cylindrical tower or tank is not known, but it is thought to be a part of the PLUTO site due to the fact that the two other possible PLUTO pumping stations nearby also have identical towers (and pits) adjacent to them (Monument Numbers 1533384, 1533387). It measures approximately 16m in diameter. It may have been a storage tank for the fuel powering pumping station generators; or it may have been a storage or header tank for the pipeline; ensuring a continual supply of fuel to the pumping stations.

Two irregularly shaped pits are visible on the vertical aerial photographs of 1946, just to the west of the cylindrical tank. They extend across an area measuring approximately 32m north to south and 20m east to west. The purpose of the pits is unclear, although it is thought they may have been associated with the storage tank due to their proximity and contemporaneity, as well as the fact that identical storage tanks at the other two possible PLUTO sites nearby also have similar pits associated with them. It may be that shingle was extracted from these pits for construction of the foundations of the storage tanks; although this is just speculation.

By the time of the next available vertical aerial photograph of 1959; the cylindrical tank had been removed, and the pits had been filled in. The buildings either side of Leonard Road which housed the pumping stations and staff accommodation are still in use as houses today (1-5).

<1> Vertical aerial photograph reference number (Unspecified Type). SWX23898.

<2> Vertical aerial photograph reference number (Unspecified Type). SWX23907.

<3> Oblique aerial photograph reference number (Unspecified Type). SWX23618.

<4> RAF, 1959, NMR RAF/58/2778 0199-0200 01-MAY-1959 (Photograph). SWX23876.

<5> World Wide Web page (Unspecified Type). SWX23989.

Sources and further reading

Related records