Part of the Hoo Peninsula Stop Line running from South-east of Ratcliffe Highway to Deansgate Ridge Sports Ground, as recorded in the English Heritage report on the Second World War Stop Line from Hoo St Werburgh to Higham Marshes (part of the wider Hoo Peninsula study). The Stop Line was a Second World War anti-invasion defence works comprising natural and manmade obstacles connected by sections of anti-tank ditch. This monument record shows the line of the anti-tank ditch. Other features are recorded in other monument records.

The report states: "This section ran from north east of Hoo St Weburgh, Kingshill Camp, and east of Lodge Hill Royal Naval Armament Depot (NRHE 1077634). Condition: The first aerial photographs of this section teaken in 1944 show the anti-tank ditich is already out of use and being backfilled with mounds of earth visible alongside the former ditch. Parts of the sub-surface remains of the anti-tank ditch are indicated by cropmarks on aerial photographs of 1944 and 2013 north and south of Ratcliffe Highway. Sub-surface remains of sections of the ditch were indicated by cropmarks in fields under pasture, seen on 2003 aerial photographs to the south of Deansgate Ridge Sports Ground".(1)

Centred at TQ 7793 7345. Part of a Second World War anti tank ditch, constructed in 1940 across the Hoo peninsula from the north bank of the Medway near Hoo St Werburgh to the south bank of the Thames at Higham Creek (Monument 1542577). The ditch across Hoo was part of the system of GHQ Stop Lines designed to halt or delay the advance of a German invasion force landing in southern and south eastern England. (1)

A section is centred on the Ratcliffe Highway at TQ 7793 7345, and ran parallel to Bells Lane from Kingshill, on the east side of Hoo St Werburgh (TQ 7827 7307 ), to the east gate of the Lodge Hill Ordnance Depot (Monument 1077634) at TQ 7738 7391, a distance of 758 metres. The first aerial photographs of this section, taken in 1944, show the anti tank ditch already out of use and being backfilled, with mounds of earth visible alongside the former ditch. (2-4)

The other parts of the Stop Line ditch, as well as many pillboxes, gun emplacements and roadblocks that accompanied it, have been recorded separately (adjacent Stop Line sections are MonumentS 1542610, to the south, and 1542646, to the north). Supporting defensive features associated with this section of the Stop Line include: four pillboxes along a small track parallel with Bells Lane (Monuments 1418684, 1418683, 1426745, 1418711); a pillbox (Monument 1418681) and ROC post (Monument 1413773) on Ratcliffe Highway; pillbox on Dux Court Road (Monument 1418680); roadblocks and pillboxes on Dux Court Road around the east gate of the Lodge Hill Depot where the route of an old tramway enters the depot (roadblock ??, pillbox Monument 1441601, tramway Monument ??); a roadblock and pillbox directly in front of the entrance to the depot (roadblock Monument 1426742; pillbox 1544248).

The whole anti tank ditch system on Hoo has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. (1).

<1> historic england, 2014, Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project: Second World War Stop Line: Hoo St Werburgh to Higham Marshes. Research Report 9-2014. (Bibliographic reference). SKE31599.

<2> Foot W., 2006, Beaches, fields, streets and hills: the anti-invasion landscape of England, 1940 (Bibliographic reference). SKE55976.

<3> RAF, 1944, NMR US/7GR/LOC348 2065 27-MAY-1944 (Photograph). SKE55973.

<4> RAF, 1947, NMR RAF/CPE/UK/1923 4081 16-JAN-1947 (Photograph). SKE55977.