Monument record TR 34 SW 1920 - First and second world war slit trenches on the Drop Redoubt fort at Dover's Western Heights.

Summary

The Drop Redoubt was a key element of the Western Heights fortifications.There are slit trenches and weapons pits cut into the rampart of the redoubt at various locations. These may be of either First or Second World War date, since some of them look quite old on aerial photographs taken during the late 1940s. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Location

Grid reference Centred TR 3155 4115 (96m by 109m) (11 map features)
Map sheet TR34SW
County KENT
District DOVER, KENT
Civil Parish DOVER, DOVER, KENT

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

There are slit trenches and weapons pits cut into the rampart of the redoubt at various locations. These may be of either First or Second World War date, since some of them look quite old on aerial photographs taken during the late 1940s. They are sited to command a wide expanse of ground around the redoubt, including the ditch. In several places the parapet wall and embrasures are damaged to enable access to them. There are two forms, the first of which are linear trenches, either straight or dog-legged, averaging 1.5m in width and up to 0.8m deep. Some of these are quite large, like those above nos 2 and 3 caponiers. The second group take the form of subcircular pits, the largest 3.5m across, of similar depth to the trenches. It is possible that the latter were machine gun positions, dating from the late 19th century onwards. (summarised from report) (1)


<1> English Heritage, 2000, The Western Heights, Dover, Kent. Report No 3 The Drop Redoubt: A 19th-Century Artillery Fortification (Unpublished document). SKE13677.

Sources/Archives (1)

  • <1>XY Unpublished document: English Heritage. 2000. The Western Heights, Dover, Kent. Report No 3 The Drop Redoubt: A 19th-Century Artillery Fortification. [Mapped feature: #91737 WWI and WWII Slit Trenches, ]

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (1)

  • Non-Intrusive Event: Survey at The Western Heights Dover, The Drop Redoubt (Ref: TR 34 SW 621-Kent sur) (EKE9941)

Record last edited

Mar 20 2018 3:33PM