From mid 1940, by which time a German invasion of Britain seemed likely, the city of Canterbury was defended as a Category ‘A’ Nodal Point. Military planners had noted that in Northern France, the German tanks had tended to follow roads - deviating only rarely and returning to them at the first opportunity. They observed that the narrower, and more winding roads of South-East England converged much more frequently on towns and villages. They therefore saw the opportunity to disrupt and delay any invasion by forming garrisons at well-connected villages ‘Nodal Points’. It was later decided to make the core of each such settlement ‘tank-proof’ by establishing emplacements, and erecting anti-invasion defences around a perimeter. Canterbury itself was of the more important ‘A’ Category of Nodal Point, but the several major roads which converged on the city marked it out as a nodal point of surpassing importance. During May 1941 it was decided to reclassify Canterbury as a ‘Fortress’ - a special Nodal Point separately administered under direct Divisional command, to be defended ‘to the last man and the last round.’ Later that month work began augmenting the city’s defences, adding a bewildering variety of fortifications and obstacles to the existing nodal point defences. The new fortifications installed this year were to include tubular scaffolding, fougasses, flame traps, and mines - including pipe mines - along with additional pillboxes, fortified houses, roadblocks, infantry and machine-gun emplacements, anti-tank ditches, and concrete obstacles. The River Stour was also dredged, in places, to serve as a barrier. Canterbury Fortress was formally established around the end of the month, or early in June (sources differ), but the construction of the new defences continued into October. The Fortress defences were to comprise an outer and an inner perimeter – each ‘consisting of an anti-tank obstacle and defended localities’ – and a stop line joining the two perimeters, which could be manned if the outer perimeter were broken. The defence of these perimeters, and of certain areas outside the fortress, was concentrated in platoon localities, rather than being strung-out around the circumferences. The strongest of the defences were to the north and east of the city, where there were commanding hills overlooking the city, and important barracks and military sites. The outer perimeter was as follows. From the heavily defended Barton Mill, it crossed the Sturry Road, where there was a pair of road blocks, to skirt the perimeter of the Cavalry Barracks. From here, defended by barbed wire defences and Canadian pipe mines, it crossed Old Park, to St Martin’s Hill, where an impressive line of concrete tank obstacles bordered the eastern edge of the Querns Road estate. This part of the outer perimeter, on the vulnerable eastern side of the city, swept out a great distance – evidently intended to encompass the commanding positions on the Scotland Hills, overlooking Canterbury. Southwards from St Martin’s Hill an anti-tank ditch was dug, with further pipe mines in front of it, as far as the London to Dover Railway. The perimeter then followed the railway line - already defended as part of the Dover, Canterbury, Whitstable Stop Line - as far as Wincheap. Here, another anti-tank ditch led up to the River Stour at the Tanneries. The perimeter then followed the River Stour past the Westgate, and thence, along the river’s main channel, back to Barton Mill. Roadblocks were placed wherever the perimeter crossed a road. The western side of the Inner Perimeter coincided with the Outer Perimeter, following the River Stour. Departing from outer perimeter at St John’s School, it ran down to the Sturry Road and followed the latter as far as Broad Street. From here it broadly followed the line of ancient city wall, clockwise along Broad Street and Lower Bridge Street to the East Station where it again merged with the outer perimeter. This perimeter was defended with road blocks and a great many defended houses. The Stop Line, between the inner and outer perimeters on the eastern side, ran along St Martin’s Hill and Longport. Defensive works would continue into late 1942. In November 1941 sites were found on the perimeters for 160 fougasses. Twelve Lyon Lights would be completed on the outer perimeter in September 1942.
Owner : Unknown
Publicly accessible : Yes
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : poor
Date of visit :

CBA Defence of Britain Project (Digital archive). SKE15412.

CBA Defence of Britain Project (Digital archive). Ske15412.

Canterbury Fortress headquarters, 01/01/41, War Diary Canterbury Fortress 1941 (Unpublished document). SKE15413.

Canterbury Fortress headquarters, 01/01/41, War Diary Canterbury Fortress 1941 (Unpublished document). Ske15413.

Corps Royal Engineers 44 Division, 01/01/41, War Diary Corps Royal Engineers 44 Division 1941 (Unpublished document). SKE15415.

Corps Royal Engineers 44 Division, 01/01/41, War Diary Corps Royal Engineers 44 Division 1941 (Unpublished document). Ske15415.

Canterbury Fortress headquarters, 01/01/42, War Diary Canterbury Fortress 1942 (Unpublished document). SKE15414.

Canterbury Fortress headquarters, 01/01/42, War Diary Canterbury Fortress 1942 (Unpublished document). Ske15414.