Canterbury Archaeological Trust were engaged by Roy Porter of English Heritage to undertake a walkover survey of the area of Northfall Meadow in Broadlees Bottom, below the north-eastern defences of Dover Castle; NGR 63264 14212, centred. The site of a former Sergeants’ Mess building, now demolished, was identified, together with an adjacent terraced area which was probably a tennis court. West of the Mess building, a large open area represents the Marshalling Yard associated with an army transport depot established here during the 1930s.

A large open area marked on the 1923 plan as ‘marshalling yard’ is still extant, opening off the northern side of the military road. It presently serves as a car park for visitors to the Blériot memorial. The yard measures about 23m (E−W) by 42m (N−S) and its surface stands at an elevation of about 74m above OD. It consists of a rectangular area of laid tarmac, edged with concrete kerb stones along the north and east sides.A series of brick and concrete steps run down from the marshalling yard to the site of the former Sergeants’ Mess which is set on a terrace around 3−4m below the level of the yard. An initial flight of ten steps, leading down north-eastwards, terminates just above the concrete retaining wall. Along the southern side, these steps are provided with a green-painted steel hand rail. A shorter flight of four steps, laid out on a more easterly orientation, are set at a right-angle against the concrete retaining wall. Set on a lower terrace immediately east of the marshalling yard, there was once a substantial building, now demolished. The building is described as the Northfall Meadow Sergeants’ Mess. It is described as being brick-built, and was provided with a liquor store, an ante room and a billiard room. The exact date of the building’s construction has not been ascertained but It is clearly shown on the 1941 aerial photograph. The site of the actual building is now marked by nothing more than a heavily overgrown area of dumped soil, brick and concrete rubble. The map evidence indicates that the building originally measured about 36m (NE−SW) by 15m (NW−SE) but no traces of the structure were noted in 2013 beyond a concrete wall, standing up to 1m high, retaining the terrace for the building along the western side - Summarised from report. (1)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2013, Broadlees Bottom, near Dover Castle, Walkover survey report (Unpublished document). SKE31739.