The largest concentration of earthworks occurs in the field immediately north of Sandy Lane, and immediately west of the military cemetery. The exact form of the trenches is not clear, although details such as a crenellated trench immediately adjacent and parallel to Sandy Lane, and a series of zig-zagging trenches in the style of communications trenches are evident. Whilst the system covers a fairly large area of approximately 5.5 hectares, it does not appear to represent the standard model of front and secondary crenellated lines, with connecting zig-zagged communications trenches and redoubts, and may instead represent several different phases reflecting training by several different battalions. Its apparently weathered condition in 1940 suggests that these trenches date to the First World War.
There is a second group of trenches, seemingly unconnected to the first group of trenches, approximately 160m due north of the main group, consisting of a crenellated trench approximately 130m long running E-W, and a perpendicular crenellated trench 40m long going south-south-east. The most recent photographs of the trenches from 2008 suggest the survival of earthworks to a depth of approximately half a metre. Part of the trench system became a BMX track although the extent of damage is unclear.
There are several other sections evident on aerial photographs of c.1940 that are now built over. There was a short length of crenellated trenching adjacent to Martello Tower No. 8, and a small section of crenellated trench at TR 1914 3583.
The Canadian Training Division was based at Shorncliffe from 1915. The training trenches were recorded on film by the Canadian War Records Office in 1917. There are two other films showing Canadian Troops training. Although the film locations used are not recorded, these may have been filmed at Shorncliffe. (1)

<1> Historic England, 2018, HE0045-Review of FWW Fieldworks Project Documents (HE Archive AF00421) (Unpublished document). SKE55725.