Cold War Civil Defence Training Centre within a fenced and gated enclosure on the NW corner of the junction of Vale Road with Thames Way. It was built in 1960 and decommissioned after the demise of the Civil Defence Corps in 1968. It is a rectangular brick drill-hall like structure, with a pitched roof and an outside vehicle park, with a garage, once used for civil defence ambulances. Within is a hall and other smaller rooms and underneath is a low basement room area, accessed through a trap door. For a time, the building may have been used as a Civil Defence Headquarters. After a period of disuse, the hall became used by a local dramatic group and as a centre for mothers and their children.
Owner : Public
Publicly accessible : No
How accessed for survey : The building is accessible with permission only.
Tourism Potential : It would be worthy as a mention on a defence heritage trail leaflet
Condition : very good
Date of visit : 30/01/06

Northfleet Urban District Council, 01/03/60, Minutes of Northfleet Urban District Council's Civil Defence Committee (Bibliographic reference). SKE13769.

Northfleet Urban District Council, 01/03/60, Minutes of Northfleet Urban District Council's Civil Defence Committee (Bibliographic reference). Ske13769.

Smith, V.T.C., 23/09/06, Vale Road Cold War Civil Defence Control Centre, Northfleet (Photograph). SKE13790.

Smith, V.T.C., 23/09/06, Vale Road Cold War Civil Defence Control Centre, Northfleet (Photograph). Ske13790.