A heritage assessment was undertaken on the historic features associated with a chalk spine, known as Lawn Road Spine, which lies between the town of Northfleet, Kent and the southern shore of the River Thames. The remains of a former quarry/cement factory tunnel were recorded.The tunnel is clearly built in two phases. The brick lining and portal of the western end form a pointed arch and tunnels of this shape and construction are most often associated with the second half of the 19th century although the actual excavation of the tunnel may well predate this and may simply have been lined at this time. The portal itself is a plain brick wall with no detailing around the opening and an un-adorned top edge projecting forward of the flint cobble revetting wall above. The bricks are well fired red brick and extend 15.25m eastwards where the passage is crossed by a brick wall, formerly denoting the end of the tunnel. This end wall has subsequently been breached to allow pipes and cables through to the later section beyond. There are no obvious historic features within this part of the tunnel other than the lining itself and occasional metal cable hangers hanging unused from the apex of the pointed arch. Structurally the lining is in good order apart from a radial crack c.0.75m from the western portal which is believed to have resulted from the temperature differential between outside and in. To the east of the brick crossing wall, the lining is of the composite concrete shield type; consistent with the manufacturing and construction techniques employed in the recently demolished cement works and so are likely to date to 1968 or later. The eastern end of this tunnel was not observed from the exterior as it is wholly obscured by debris and the roots of trees and shrubs which have colonised the spine edge above However, from the interior it appears not to have a formal portal but rather the shield simply extends beyond the landmass with the opening partly closed by a concrete slab wall which covers less than half the width of the passage. (1)

the tunnel was used throughout the Second World War as an Air Raid Shelter used by the Kilburn family. (2)

<1> Heritage Collective, 2013, Heritage statement, Lawn Road Playing Field, Northfleet, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE31499.

<2> George Jewiss, 18/05/2008, Wartime recollections of George Jewiss (Verbal communication). SKE24300.