Monument record TQ 77 SW 67 - World War II Anti tank blockhouse, near Eastcroft Farm, Cliffe, comprising pillboxes, transport buildings and military supply buildings.

Brick and concrete construction. West side of town. (1)

This feature was recorded in the English Heritage report on the Second World War Stop Line in the Hoo Peninsula. The report states: "Two Second World War reinforced concrete artillery pillboxes (brick-shuttered) at right angles to each other but not apparently interconnected. 20m west of Town Road to the north of Cliffe Woods and to the west of the anti-tank ditch. Aerial photographs taken in May 1944 show the pillboxes within a military installation with five military support buildings. Condition: The support buildings were removed by 1947 while the two pillboxes were visible on aerial photographs until at least April 2007. Buildings were constructed on the site by September 2013 (Google Earth). A May 2015 field visit, from the public highway, confirmed that a pillbox, one of the buildings, and a row of garages seem to remain". (2)

Two concrete anti-tank pillboxes (brick-shuttered), set at right angles to each other but not apparently interconnected. Twin embrasures.

Anti-tank blockhouse of brick and concrete construction. 20 metres from the road by the side of garages, Cliffe Woods area. (1)

Aerial photographs taken in May 1944 indicate that the pillboxes described in authority 1 lay within a military installation or compound, accompanied by up to five additional military support buildings. The support buildings were removed by January 1947, while the two pillboxes were visible on aerial photographs until at least April 2007. The whole military installation has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. This site, along with another pillbox (Monument 1418675) located about 65m to the south east, on the other side of Town Road, formed part of the in depth defences associated with the Hoo Stop Line (Monument 1542577, 1542694). (2-4)

<1> Victor Smith and Ron Crowdy, Thames Gateway Assesment: Gazetteer of Defence Sites (Index). SKE6445.

<2> historic england, 2014, Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project: Second World War Stop Line: Hoo St Werburgh to Higham Marshes. Research Report 9-2014. (Bibliographic reference). SKE31599.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 2002, Defence of Britain Project (Digital archive). SKE32029.