Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A substantial possible Second World War minefield is visible on aerial photographs of 1942 as patches of bare shingle in the grass-covered dunes behind the beach at New Romney. These features were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East RCZAS NMP project.

Monument Types

• MINEFIELD (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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The possible Second World War anti-invasion minefield is centred at TR 0843 2426 and extends for approximately 194m SSW to NNE from TR 0841 2417 to TR 0845 2436. It is located on the seaward side of Marine Parade. The bare patches in the shingle are roughly sub-circular or oval in plan view, and are approximately three to four metres in size (which may be over-large for the possible minefield interpretation). Some of them have the appearance of two joined together. They are linear in arrangement, and at the northern end of the line a short second line is visible parallel to the first one.

This possible minefield lies amongst other contemporary defensive structures, including anti-aircraft gun batteries (Monument Numbers 1477737, 1533923); beach scaffolding (Monument Numbers 1533929, 1533948); and barbed wire (Monument Number 1533960).

By the time of vertical aerial photographs of 1946, the bare patches of shingle where mines may have been buried can no longer be seen. It should be noted that this possible minefield differs in appearance from other nearby examples (Monument Number 1533412) in that the patches of bare shingle are somewhat irregularly shaped and spaced. It may be that an alternative interpretation is possible (1-2).

<1> RAF, 1942, NMR RAF AC/81 179-182 26-AUG-1942 (Photograph). SWX23789.

<2> 1946, NMR CPE/UK/1752 4002-3 21-SEPT-1946 (Photograph). SWX23760.

Sources and further reading

Related records