There was a Second World War pillbox under the viaduct at Harbledown Junction. This viaduct carries the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway over the Ashford and Ramsgate Railway and Whitehall Road. This was the northernmost of several unusual brick-built pillboxes, inserted under the arches of viaducts along the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway (other, similar pillboxes survive at Adisham and Bekesbourne). From this point southwards, the said railway formed the basis of the Dover, Canterbury, Whitstable anti-tank Stop Line. Northwards of this point, the Stop Line was continued by anti-tank ditches, woodland edges and sewers as far as the coast at Seasalter. This pillbox was thus clearly part of the Stop-Line defences, and will subsequently (1941?) have become part of the Canterbury Fortress defences; the strategic importance of the Harbledown Junction, from early 1940 onwards, is discussed in a separate entry. These unusual viaduct pillboxes conformed to none of the usual models of pillbox construction (e.g. Type 24, Type 28 etc.). The Harbledown Junction pillbox has brick (shuttered?) walls and a reinforced concrete roof. It was built onto the steeply descending edge of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway embankment, under the southernmost arch of the viaduct, sighting up and down the Ashford and Ramsgate railway. It is extant and apparently in fair condition, but wholly inaccessible. Secondary components of the locality, such as excavated defences, may survive archaeologically in the near vicinity. There was also a road block under the viaduct. This pillbox does not feature in lists of such structures compiled late in 1940, nor does any associated roadblock or rail railblock - these must surely all have existed by this date, however.
Owner : Private
Publicly accessible : No
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : good
Date of visit :

John Herbert, Photograph by John Herbert (digital copy in project archive) (Photograph). SKE15527.

John Herbert, Photograph by John Herbert (digital copy in project archive) (Photograph). Ske15527.