Monument record TQ 67 SE 89 - Second World War searchlight battery, formerly interpreted as a Bronze Age settlement

Summary

A WW2 searchlight installation visible as two adjacent curvilinear embanked enclosures with diameters of c.12.5m. Both have two opposing entrances and a slight outer ditch. The north-easterly enclosure had a slight central mound about 1m across which is thought to be the sound locator. This emplacement also had an embanked entrance sith offset banks (perhaps sandbags) creating a zig-zag entrance to the NE for emergency air raid protection. The southern enclosure housed the searchlight. Both were seen surviving as earthworks on aerial photographs teken in 1950, but were subsequently levelled and visible as a cropmark , appearing as two incomplete ditched curvilinear enclosures with no trace of an inner bank. Immediately to the south of the searchlight emplacement was a single weapons pit for a LAMG (Light Anti-aircraft macine gun) to protect the searchlight. These were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project.

Location

Grid reference TQ 6691 7360 (point) FCE
Map sheet TQ67SE
Civil Parish GRAVESEND, GRAVESHAM, KENT
County KENT
District GRAVESHAM, KENT

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

<1> AP's (RAF 58/501 F5101 (10-06-50) ) (OS Card Reference). SKE34278.

<2> The Classification of cropmarks in Kent: A Report for MPP. RCHM APU (July 1989), list 27. (OS Card Reference). SKE50290.

<3> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9431.

<4> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9434.

<5> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9435.

<6> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10016.

<7> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10017.

Sources/Archives (7)

  • <1>XY OS Card Reference: AP's (RAF 58/501 F5101 (10-06-50) ). [Mapped feature: #16650 Battery, ]
  • <2> OS Card Reference: The Classification of cropmarks in Kent: A Report for MPP. RCHM APU (July 1989), list 27..
  • <3> Photograph (Print): 1946. Photograph. 4101. print.
  • <4> Photograph (Print): 1946. Photograph. 4121. print.
  • <5> Photograph (Print): 1946. Photograph. 4123. print.
  • <6> Photograph (Print): 1944. Photograph. 4019. print.
  • <7> Photograph (Print): 1944. Photograph. 4021. print.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (2)

  • Non-Intrusive Event: English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project NMP (EKE20812)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: RCHME: Kent Mapping Project (EKE20439)

Record last edited

Jun 23 2021 2:37PM