Short length of castellated trench immediately south of the Amphitheatre. [1]

Aerial photographs from the 1940s show that the amphitheatre at Richborough was fortified as a defensive position during WWII, this slit trench forms part of that scheme [2]. The overall scheme is recorded as MWX43455. The slit trench is of crenellated form lies 30m south of the southern side of the amphitheatre between lines of barbed wire entanglements.

The defensive features were removed following WWII and the slit trenching appears to have been infilled by the late 1940s as it is no longer visible on RAF vertical photographs this date [3]. It appears to have since been totally levelled as no surface trace of the feature is visible on recent aerial photography [4].

<1> AP (NMR TR3259/9; 1 4 80) (OS Card Reference). SKE34000.

<2> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Tile ref: PGA_TR3259_2003-08-14 (Graphic material). SWX15711.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - (SE RCZAS) Phase 1: National Mapping Programme Report (Unpublished document). SKE25955.

<4> Cornwall Council Historic Environment Projects and Gloucestershire County Council, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Components 1&2: Results of NMP Mapping (Unpublished document). SKE25954.

<5> Wessex Archaeology, 2009-10, South-East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - Aerial Photographic Transcriptions (Digital archive). SWX15705.