A Second World War pillbox was identified during a 2017 watching brief at Ramsgate Swimming Pool, Ramsgate.
“The structure is located at the south-west of the site. It is rectangular in shape and is aligned approximately east to west. The structure consists of four connected trenches 2.17 m deep laid out in a rectangular circuit. The trenches are floored with concrete screed and lined with reinforced concrete cast in situ, approximately 20 cm thick and tied into a flat concrete roof. The majority of the structure remains intact, however the eastern end has been truncated by the construction of a swimming pool in the 1970s, leaving only the floor slab and the lower part of the walls.
The structure has four openings, all of which are blocked. An opening at the north east corner of the structure leads north, however it has been blocked with a large amount of concrete. No structure survives beyond the blocked opening. The south wall of the north trench contains a similar opening, formed with a pre-cast concrete doorframe. The doorway opens into a small vestibule and another
doorway, blocked with precast concrete panels.
There are two further openings on the south wall of the south trench. Towards the east end of the trench there is a precast concrete doorway. Beyond the doorway the floor slab continues for approximately 1.3 m before being truncated. The opening at the eastern end contains no doorway and is simply blocked with a series of upright railway sleepers. Any structures associated with the
openings appears to have been removed and backfilled but it is likely that some or all of them served as entrances to the structure.
The west end of the structure contains a substantial amount of chalk graffiti, however most of it repeats the same nonsensical phrase and appears to date from later in the structure’s history. Some graffiti appears to be written in a more cursive hand and may be earlier, however it is too faint to decipher” (from the historic building watching brief, 1). The structure was created in association with St Lawrence Primary School which was originally located to the south of the proposed development area. (1)

<1> Archaeology South-East, 2017, RAMSGATE SWIMMING POOL, NEWINGTON ROAD, RAMSGATE, KENT, CT11 OQX Historic Building and Archaeological Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SKE58310.