Monument record TR 34 SE 355 - South Foreland Battery

Four gun emplacements, engine rooms, plotting room, battery observation post, magazines, radar and domestic camp site. Guns installed by November 1941 and removed in 1956
Owner : Public
Publicly accessible : Yes
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential : Very interesting site
Condition : Very poor
Date of visit : 17/07/06

South Foreland Battery visible on aerial photographs taken in 1942 and 1946 [2, 3] and located in South Foreland. The site was 650m x 230m at maximum dimensions. It was comprised of 42 buildings and an additional nine structures. Of these, 21 buildings had external banking and five lone banks were also located around the site, one of which had an internal ditch. Four gun emplacements were visible, all of which were banked. Pathways were seen to link elements of the site and the whole site was bounded by between one and three layers of barbed wire. The remains of four structures were visible on Next Perspectives photography taken in 2007 [4, 5].

It was connected to a small military site (MWX43575) to the SW by its enclosing barbed wire. Bomb craters (MWX43568, MWX43566 and MWX43567) were located around the site and an unknown military feature (MWX43576) was just to the SE. To the W lay Wanstone Battery (MKe17934).

A transcription of the features recorded from aerial photographs exists within a GIS layer held by this HER.

4 x 9.2in guns. [see also UORN 7366]. St. Margaret's at Cliffe. (1-2)

South Foreland Battery located at TR 360 438. The battery was constructed in 1941 and completed in January 1942. It was armed with four 9.2-inch breech-loading weapons. The battery was manned by 290 Battery of 540 Coast Regiment until it was reduced to care and maintenance in 1944. In 1941 a Chain Home Extra Low radar station (K147) was co-located at the coastal battery. This was located at TR 3625 4339.
The gun emplacements were positioned at: No. 1 gun at TR 3582 4355, No. 2 gun at TR 3588 4361, No. 3 gun at TR 3595 4369 and No. 5 gun at TR 3607 4391. The position finder (PF) was located at TR 3586 4310. (5-6)

Aerial photography from 1978 shows a large number of building bases and some standing buildings in the area (also partially visible in a 1990 oblique photograph). Emplacements are now buried but still in place.

<1> Verbal Communication (Verbal communication). Ske14146.

<2> Verbal Communication (Verbal communication). SKE14146.

<3> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: TR3543 28-APR-2007_Updates (Graphic material). SWX15711.

<4> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: TR3643 28-APR-2007_Updates (Graphic material). SWX15711.

<5> Dobinson, C., 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England. Volume 6.1. Coast Artillery, 1900-1956 (Monograph). SWX23710.

<6> Dobinson, C., 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England. Volume 6.2. Coast Artillery, 1900-1956 (Monograph). SWX23711.

<6> Council for British Archaeology, 2002, Defence of Britain Project (Digital archive). SKE32029.