The site of a former 19th century sheepwash recorded at approximately TQ 7202 7833 on historic (2nd and 3rd edition of 1896 and 1908) Ordnance Survey maps. This site was presumably removed in the 19th century when the Curtis and Harvey Explosives works were established on this part of the Cliffe Marshes. This site was recorded during the course of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. (1-2)

This feature is located within an area of Cliffe Marshes that became an extensive chemical explosives factory established by Curtis’s & Harvey Ltd in 1900, operational until 1921-2 and now largely dismantled (TQ 77 NW 121 uid 1075508 / TQ 77 NW 154 uid 1517194). The remnant structures and earthworks of the explosives works were subject to a detailed survey and investigation by English Heritage in 2011-13; as a result the brick sheep wash was surveyed at 1:1000 as an earlier feature recorded amongst the wider factory remains. The small sheep wash is a keyhole-shaped, brick-lined structure sunk into the ground so that the top row of bricks is flush with the ground surface. The circular chamber at the north end has an internal diameter of 1.75m and an external diameter of 2.3m. Sloping gradually up and out from an opening in the south side of the chamber is a narrow 3.5m long brick-lined passage. No other directly associated features were noted. (3)

<1> Ordinance Survey, 1879, Ordnance Survey: Kent Epoch 1, 1:2500 1879 (Map). SKE55861.

<2> Ordinance Survey, 1908, Ordnance Survey: Kent Epoch 3, 1:2500 1908 (Map). SKE55863.

<3> English Heritage, 2013, Curtis's and Harvey Ltd Explosives Factory, Cliffe and Cliffe Woods, Medway. Archaeological Survey and Analysis of the Factory Remains Volume 2 of 2. (Bibliographic reference). SKE31442.

<4> English Heritage, 2013, Curtis's and Harvey Ltd Explosives Factory, Cliffe and Cliffe Woods, Medway. Archaeological Survey and Analysis of the Factory Remains Volume 1 of 2. (Bibliographic reference). SKE31730.

<5> Historic England, 2016, Archive Material (Archive). SKE57167.