There is evidence of Roman and medieval activity including the site of a Roman fort or medieval building on Scotland Hill (UID 464431;NGR TR 17605 58300), with an associated find of a medieval shield (UID 464432). The area as a whole is identified as part of the King’s Park (UID 464480; central NGR TR 16898 58598) during the post-medieval period. The site of a medieval building identified through excavation in 1952 is also recorded (UID 464373; NGR TR 16438 58464).

A significant proportion of these relate to 20th century military activity, particularly dating from
the Second World War. These include the site of a Royal Observer Corps monitoring post
(UID 1413762; NGR TR 16441 58380) and the site of a U9P Rocket projector battery (UID
1454725; NGR TR 16500 58308). Also relating to the period of military activity is the site of a
regimental badge (of the Royal East Kent Regiment) cut into the bank of the barracks rifle range
(UID 1253947; NGR TR 16483 58396) earlier in the 20th century. However it should be noted
that this feature appears to have been mistakenly identified within the current training area and
in fact relates to a former rifle range now on land no longer owned by the MoD (should be
NGR TR 16053 58341).

Immediately adjacent to the disposal area further undesignated assets have also been identified
including the St Martin’s Hill / Littlebourne Road to the south of the site which originated as the
Roman road from Canterbury to Richborough (UID 1042632).

A large proportion of the open part of the disposal area is designated as the Chequer’s Wood
and Old Park Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Within this area smaller areas of ancient
woodland have also been identified.

Landscape and Settlement Context:
The disposal area is situated on high ground to the southeast of the city of Canterbury. The
area appears to have been open ground until building by the military in the 20th century. To the
southwest and south the area is bordered by 18th, 19th and 20th century development spreading
up the hill and out of Canterbury. To the north and west it is bordered by 20th century
development, much of it on the site of the 18th and 19th century military barracks which were
sold in the 1980s.

In the Roman period the main route from Caterbury to Richborough ran immediately south of
the site, along the route of what is now St Martin’s Hill / Littleborough Road. No definite
evidence of Roman activity has been discovered within the site (although a site in the Scotland
Hill area has been suggested as a possible Roman fort site) but the site’s proximity to the road
makes some activity likely. Similarly there is considerable speculation that the spring line which
was exploited for water supplies in the medieval period (see paragraph below) may have
similarly been utilised in the Roman period to provide water for the Roman city (see for
example Bennett 1988), although no definite evidence of this has been identified.

In the Anglo-Saxon period the main Roman road network remained in use, and an important
route also developed on the northern edge of the training area, linking Canterbury to the new
settlement at Fordwich. As with Roman activity in the area (see above) settlement associated
with the trackway has also been postulated (Housliston 1988).

The foundation of the major monastic houses in the city had a significant impact on the disposal
area in the medieval period, as they used the natural springs in the area to supply water to the
main complexes. Both St Augustine’s Abbey and Christ Church Priory built conduit systems in
the area utilising the natural fall in the land to provide pressure for the system. Christ Church
Priory is known to have used a system from at least the late 12th century, as a surviving late 12th
century plan of the water supply to the priory includes ponds and a conduit house to the
southeast of the city (Collinson et al 1995, Plan 3). It is possible that some fabric of the
surviving conduit house is of this date (Tatton-Brown 1981). The conduit house allowed the
collection of water from a wide area – most of which falls within the current military training
area. Although subsequent activity has led to some loss of evidence, archaeological investigation
has suggested that it was fed from three different springs to the south and east of the conduit
house (Frere and Bennett 1987). One of these may have included the surviving reed pond
within the training area, fed from a spring to its south (Frere and Bennett 1987, 26). This
probably fed into a further pond immediately east of the conduit house, which survived (in an
altered form) until the 20th century and part of the bank of which is still extant in the training
area (Frere and Bennett 1987, 27). A further significant conduit line ran into the conduit house
from the south, along what is now the western edge of the training area.

St Augustine’s Abbey probably also initially established its water supply system in the late 12th
century, although the earliest parts of the surviving conduit house are of 13th century date
(Bennett 1988). This again was fed by multiple springs issuing from the area south of the
conduit house, probably collecting in a large catchment pond immediately west of the structure
(Bennett 1988).

The disposal area and training areas were part of a manorial holding – known as Caldecote (or
Caldicote) Manor, which was granted to Christchurch Priory in 1326 (Collinson et al 1995,
567), although they obviously had tenancy or right to use the land prior to this date, given the
investment in the water system. By the later medieval period St Augustine’s Abbey held a small
portion of land within the manor, known as Paveredge, in which their water system was based
(Gem 1997, 132).In 1538, immediately prior to the Dissolution, the manor of Caldecote was emparked by the Crown for use as a deer park (Sparks 1980, 57). This was used in conjunction with the Royal
Palace built using the claustral buildings at St Augustine’s Abbey. It was granted to Sir Anthony
Sellenger, who constructed the park pale and a keeper’s house (now incorporated into Old
Park Farm). The park is shown on a mid-16th century plan of the area (Sparks 1980, 60).
Sections of the embankment appear to survive (Frere and Bennett 1987, 26; Tatton Brown
1983, 116). The Palace fell out of use and was sold in the 17th century, but the park remained
in Crown hands. The area remained open ground, although quarried for gravel and sand, in the
18th and 19th centuries. Continued ownership by the Crown enabled it to be used by the
military from the 19th century, following the establishment of the barracks complexes to the east
of the city.

History and description of the site:
There is some confusion over exactly when the area was purchased by the military, with various
sources suggesting late 19th and early 20th century dates (see for example Blaxland 1980 who
states that the land was purchased in 1910, although earlier newspaper reports c1898 state that
the land was purchased in that year), however it is likely that military use of the disposal area
began in the 19th century, in conjunction with the three large barrack complexes built to the
northeast of the city along Sturry Road (the A28). The open land to the south of the barracks
would have been ideal for training exercises. Early Ordnance Survey mapping (1874) suggests
that, notwithstanding possible use by the military, the majority of the area was open areas with
some areas under cultivation, centred on the large complex of farm buildings based around Old
Park Farm. The area around the northern reed pond was in use as a nursery, and there are a
number of buildings marked on the southern side of the pond. To the west, nearest the earlier
barracks complexes gravel quarries are marked, some identified as old, but others still in use.
There are a number of footpaths or rights of way extending into the area from the Cavalry
Barracks to the northwest, suggesting that access for the military was well established. This
pattern continues in the 2nd and 3rd edition OS mapping (1897 and 1907) and still appears very
similar in the 4th edition (1938), although by this date the golf course had taken over part of the
eastern area.

The construction of Howe Barracks (originally Old Park Barracks) began in 1938 (Blaxland
1980), and the map evidence suggests that significant military intervention and construction over
the whole training area appears only to have taken place after this date. However, it is likely
that small scale or temporary uses, such as training trenches and/or temporary hutting may not
have been reflected in the cartographical evidence, particularly given the long gap between the
3rd and 4th 25-inch editions which means the time around the First World War is not well
recorded.

The construction of the barracks bought about significant changes to the whole of the area.
Second World War aerial photography shows an extensive complex had been constructed by
1941-42, centred on the large Sandhurst block which faced south onto Littlebourne Road. As
well as the adjoining barrack blocks and parade ground areas of military housing had also been
built to the southwest, around the disused windmill. A roadway had been created from the
earlier barrack complexes up into the training area, with some larger houses associated with it.
In the wider area the areas of cultivation had been removed, along with the buildings to the
south of the reed pond and the farm buildings at Old Park Farm, and a number of rifle ranges
and other training areas introduced. It seems likely that this largely represents the complex as it
was planned in 1939, although its use as a training depot may have caused a more intensive use
of the area around the barrack complex. Blaxland (1980) notes that the barracks wasincomplete at the start of the conflict, suggesting that some additional buildings were never constructed. In the wider training area the photographs indicate evidence of extensive wartime activity including various areas of training trenches, particularly north and northwest of the barracks. In addition a large area east of the barracks, on the eastern edge of the track to Old Park Farm, appears to have been used for a temporary encampment. The central part of the Sandhurst block was destroyed by bombing around 1942, causing the dining room to be rebuilt after the war (Blaxland 1980, 100).

Following the end of the war the site continued in use as a training centre. The central portion
of the Sandhurst block was reconstructed in the early 1950s. The site was renamed Howe
Barracks (after the officer who oversaw its construction) in 1956. Following the end of national
service in 1957 the barracks became a regional recruitment centre, with some associated
expansion. In 1966 the local East Kent Regiment, The Buffs who had been based at the
barracks since the war were merged to form The Queen’s Regiment. In turn the Queen’s
Regiment was incorporated into the Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment in 1992. The barracks
is currently occupied by the 5th Battalion (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Royal Regiment of
Scotland. It is due to be reduced to a single company and deployed to Scotland.

The earlier barracks along Sturry Road were sold off and extensively redeveloped in the 1960s
and 1970s, although a small area of the Cavalry Barracks was retained and converted into a
Territorial Army centre and the Garrison Church was retained as a parish church. It may have
been at this stage that the area of military housing to the southwest of the site (centred on
Quern’s Road) was also sold off, due to the reduction in the number of military in the area. In
the early 1980s further investment in Howe Barracks saw the construction of new barrack
accommodation, and the associated demolition or alteration of some earlier buildings. This
included the married soldiers’ housing to the northeast of the barracks complex which was
comprehensively redeveloped. The site has continued in use for training and accommodation
since that date, but is due to close in 2014.

Description
The site falls naturally into two areas – the built up area around the main barracks complex
along the southwestern edge of the site and the larger training area. Currently only the barracks
complex itself has been identified for disposal, however the training area will also be described
to help provide a complete assessment of the site.

Howe Barracks
The main barrack complex is accessed from Littlebourne Road to the south. The following
description is based on the numbers allocated under the Defence Infrastructure Organisation
management of the site – with communal buildings allocated numbers (see plan attached).
The main layout of the barracks complex and a significant proportion of the buildings date from
the initial phase of development in the site, between 1938 and 1940. These buildings are all in
Neo-Georgian in style, built of brick with tile roofs. A number have been heavily altered and
extended. Buildings of this phase include the Sergeants’ Mess (1; with later extensions),
guardhouse (2; with later extensions), Battalion Headquarters (9; heavily altered), workshop
building (11), Sandhurst block (12) and Officers’ Mess (14; extended later). The Gymnasium
(17) was also part of this initial phase, although its style is slightly different from the other early
buildings. Housing from this date also survives, including the three officers’ houses south of the
Officers’ Mess.

A second significant phase of investment seems to have taken place sometime between 1959
and 1973 (according to evidence from OS mapping and aerial photography), possibly coinciding
with the merging of the Buffs (the original regiment housed at the barracks) into a larger force
called the Queen’s Regiment in 1966. From the evidence however it is not possible to establish
a precise date for the construction of the buildings, and whether or not they represent a single
phase of investment or were constructed on a more piecemeal basis. Buildings built between
these dates include a further stores buildings (6 and 23), and garages (7) as well as offices (3
and 21) and some accommodation (4? Possibly rebuilt). The extension of the Officers’ Mess
also took place in this time. Typically buildings of this phase are of brick with concrete lintels
and flat roofs. The most notable building of this phase is the circular building, now the chapel,
originally the band practice room, with a distinctive central lantern.

Investment in the early 1980s saw the replacement of earlier barrack blocks with modern
accommodation (25) and some large vehicle sheds (24). Since then there has been piecemeal
upgrading of older buildings, including extensions and replacement windows etc.
1: Sergeants’ Mess of 1938-40 (central section) with later additions to the north and south.
Original building of one and a half stories with two storey additions, all in brick with tile roofs.
Adjacent (90) is a single-storey brick bungalow which was originally Warrant Officers’
accommodation and is now a nursery school.
2: Guardhouse of 1938-40 (eastern section) extended and altered. Main building two storeys
with single storey additions. All in brick with tiled roofs.
3: NAAFI (Navy, Army, Air Force Institutes) building built between 1959 and 1973. One and
two storey sections with concrete details and flat roof.
4: Accommodation blocks built between 1959 and 1973 [?] or rebuilt on site of earlier block in
early 1980s? Brick, two storey, with tile roofs
5: Small circular band practice room, now chapel. Built sometime between 1959 and 1973.
Main section of brick with high level windows with central lantern/clerestory of glass and
concrete.
6: Single-storey stores block built between 1959 and 1973 – brick with concrete detailing, no
windows, flat roof
7: Vehicle maintenance garage – built between 1959 and 1973 brick with concrete detailing and
flat roof
8: Stores building – built between 1959 and 1973. Single storey brick block with concrete
detailing and flat roof
9: Battalion Headquarters – built 1938-1940. Extensively altered, including raising to twostoreys,
new roof and porch.
10: Stores building – built 1938-40. Brick, single-storey with pitched pantile roofs with roof
lights, concrete details with original barred windows.
11: Workshop building – built 1938-40. Single storey with pitched tile roof. Three wings
creating courtyard, enclosed with wall and gates to south. Original metal windows.
12: Sandhurst block – built 1938-40. Brick, two-storey H-plan central building with wings.
Original windows surviving throughout. Central portion rebuilt following bomb damage circa
1942 – rainwater goods have 1952 date and central clock tower also appears of that date.
Two northern wings extended between 1959 and 1973. Interior altered for use as offices.
14: Officers’ Mess of 1938-40 (western section ) with large extension to east built between
1956 and 1973. All of brick, two-storey, windows replaced and interior altered.
15 ?Sports Hall built between 1959 and 1973. Brick, mostly single-storey with flat roof.
16 NAAFI Shop built between 1959 and 1973. Brick, mostly single-storey with flat roof
17: Gymnasium 1938-40. Brick block, one and a half storeys, large central hall with folding
doors to south opening out onto playing fields. Interior refitted but windows and doors appear
original.
18: Boiler House of 1938-40. Small brick, two-storey building with pitched tile roof, vents on
the roof apex and circular vents on each gable.
19: Stores building of 1938-40. Brick single storey with pitched tile roof. Originally open to
west (onto parade ground).
20: Unidentified
21: Office building built between 1959 and 1973. Two-storey brick building with later windows
and replacement pitched roof.
22: Small bore rifle range building of 1938-40. Brick, single-storey with high level windows on
west gable, plain longitudinal elevations with a single door on each side, pitched pantile roof
with regular louvered vents on apex.
23: Stores building built between 1959 and 1973. Brick, single-storey, flat roof.
24: Large vehicle shed built ?early 1980s.
25: Accommodation block of early 1980s. Brick, two-storey with some timber cladding, pitched
tile roofs.
Three houses to southeast of Officers’ Mess – Officers’ housing of 1938-40 brick two-storey
with pitched tile roofs. Windows replaced.
Housing to east of barracks complex- large estate of married soldiers’ housing rebuilt 1980s.
Within the barracks are also two memorials. To the south of the Sandhurst Block (12) the
garden is dedicated to 16 soldiers who lost their lives in German air raids in 1942. Opposite to
the Guardroom (2) is a memorial erected by the Queen’s Regiment (1966-1992) which
incorporates a plaque commemorating nine of its soldiers killed by terrorist actions in Northern
Ireland and England.

Training Area
The training ground covers a large area stretching from the outskirts of Canterbury up to the
settlement of Fordwich. A large proportion of the eastern part of the training area is in use as a
golf course with a mixture of areas of open grassland and woodland. The remainder of the
training area is predominantly scrubland, with sections of woodland including some areas of
conifers and others of more indigenous woodland. The routes of several known medieval
conduits run through the northern and western part of the training area, feeding the two
medieval conduit houses just north of it (see history above). The pond on the northern edge
of the area probably also represents part of this system (NGR TR 16594 58761), although it has
been altered, particularly on its northern edge where the dam includes concrete elements and a
20th century sluice. Sections of the associated conduit or channel were observed as part of
work on the conduit houses in the 1980s (see history above). The remains of a further pond,
which was partially infilled in the early 20th century, survive adjacent to one of the scheduled
conduit houses and partially within the training area (NGR TR 16047 58633). Conduits are
known to have run south from this pond, along the edge of what is now the training area, and
also east, probably eventually linking to the surviving pond. The full extent and complexity of
the two water supply systems has not been explored and it is likely that other elements of the
water system survive in the area, although later activity may have masked or destroyed some
remains. Archaeological work in the training area has identified several other medieval
structures which may have formed part of the system including a stone building excavated in the
1950s (NHLE UID 464373; Frere and Bennett 1987, 23), although the significance of these is
not fully understood.

The use of the area as a deer park from 1538 resulted in the construction of a park pale, which
involved significant banking. In places this is thought to survive, for example in conjunction with
the north-south conduit from the disused pond (see above paragraph), where the line of the
conduit may include some banking (Frere and Bennett 1987, 26). The park pale fell within the
boundaries of the current training area for much of its circuit, and it is possible that other
sections survive elsewhere (for map of probable boundary see Tatton Brown 1983, 116).

Following the disuse of the deer park in the early 17th century the area seems to have either
reverted to open scrub or woodland with some elements, particularly around Old Park Farm,
adapted for cultivation. Possible coppice boundaries were identified along the northern edge of
the site, suggesting that the woodland was managed to produce wood. Some of the earthwork
remains may also mark the position of abandoned track ways. In the 18th and 19th centuries
quarrying appears to have taken place on a piecemeal basis in the western part of the site.
Some of these sites are shown on the early editions of the OS mapping and some banking
associated with marked quarry pits clearly survives. By the 19th century two complexes of
buildings are shown which are apparently associated with agricultural use – the farm buildings
southwest of Old Park Farm and a second range of buildings on the southern side of the
medieval pond. Both of these complexes were demolished when the area became used by the
military in the 20th century, but archaeological evidence for these may remain.

The military use of the area is reflected in the survival of a number of early 20th century features.
These include possible First World War training trenching identified in the northwest corner of
the site, close to the line of the medieval conduit and post-medieval park pale. It is possible that
other elements survive from this period in the heavily wooded northwest area. A further open
site (NGR TR 16112 58046) was identified by the Quartermaster during the site visit as the site
of a First World War encampment. No definite evidence has been found for this.

A number of Second World War anti-tank bollards were also identified in the northwest area,
in association with the track running from Canterbury to Fordwich, which must have formed a
vulnerable route. A partly surviving rifle range with a brick wall was identified along the
northern side of the site (NGR TR 16580 58439), which dates from prior to the Second World
War. A further rifle range (NGR 16328 58733) is still in use.

Surviving military buildings to north and west of Training Area
The area of the original barracks along Sturry Road (A28) was redeveloped in the 1960s and
1980s. Some military buildings have been retained in the redevelopment, including the
Garrison Church which has become a local parish church, a section of the Married Quarters
of the Artillery Depot (converted to flats) and a large sports centre at the eastern end of
Military Road which is marked as the riding school for the cavalry barracks on early mapping.
Further buildings associated with the Cavalry Barracks have been retained as part of the
Territorial Army Centre which still occupies the area which formed the eastern half of the
earlier complex. The majority of the earlier buildings have been demolished but one singlestorey
brick block dating from before 1897 survives (NGR TR 15949 58856) and a larger
rendered block of 1897 – 1907 survives west of this (NGR TR 15920 58824). Much of the
remainder of the complex dates from the mid-20th century (pre-1957) and was also
constructed as part of the cavalry barracks. (1)

Historic building recording of structures at the barracks was carried out in 2016 in advance of proposed demolition of many buildings and the construction of a residential development at the site. A number of buildings were surveyed during the historic building recording; buildings constructed prior to 1960 underwent a Historic England Level 2 survey, whilst those constructed after 1960 underwent a Level 1 survey.
The site was originally a post-medieval deer park and farmstead; a military barracks was established in 1938 (although some wooden structures and trenches may have existed at the site before this point) which was developed further during the Second World War.
A phase of extensive alteration, demolition, and construction took place at the site in the 1960s and 1980s in response to changes to the layout of the site which had previously proved inefficient. During this time, the site was used as a regional training centre, and the site remained in use up to 2014 when it was closed. (2)

Analysis of the site in the historic building record states that “a number of the original site structures display a muted monumental character, in particular Buildings 2, 9 and 12, which is representative of military architecture dating to the inter-war period. The majority of the buildings constructed during the initial phase of development at the site have since been subject to high levels of alteration. The neo-Georgian style of the prominent buildings on the site utilise generous proportions, decorative brickwork, external pilasters and moulded window detailing to create an imposing feeling of strength, power, security and permanence. These buildings were originally visible from Littlebourne Road and so were designed to be seen by the public and approached via the large southern access gates and treelined Wemyss Way….Many of the structures follow a strict hierarchical arrangement with clear definition in the architectural treatment between buildings and areas indented for junior and officer use. This is most prevalent in the embellishment of the Officers’ Mess (Building 14) dining facilities in comparison to those within the Sandhurst Block (Building 12), which comprised a much simpler design and use of materials. The layout of the site and surrounding landscape further identifies this arrangement via its use of regimented and symmetrical landscaping surrounding buildings in use by higher ranking officers. In additional to the placement of the Officers’ Mess far from the junior service personnel within its own purposefully isolated compound” (from the original report, 2).

<1> English Heritage, 2013, Howe Barracks, Canterbury (Unpublished document). SKE56217.

<2> Archaeology South-East, 2016, Howe Barracks, Littlebourne Road, Canterbury, Kent Historic Building Record (Unpublished document). SKE58284.