A length of defensive WWII beach scaffolding situated in the intertidal zone of Pegwell Bay, visible on military aerial photographs.

The beach scaffolding measures almost 2km in length and extends south from the beach at Cliffsend Point along the intertidal zone of Pegwell Bay to the northern edge of the River Stour.

This feature was first visible on military aerial photographs taken in May 1942 and was mapped from photographs taken in 1946 when it is still clearly visible [1, 2]. However the feature is gone by April 1950 [3].

The lengths of scaffolding and barbed wire functioned as beach defences in order to impede the progress of enemy soldiers, vehicles or watercraft, and were extremely common features along the coastline of SE England. It is probable that the more solid and durable beach scaffolding replaced the wire obstacle that was visible on earlier photographic series (MWX43183).

The structural remains of the WW2 beach scaffolding described above was mapped from aerial photographs : RAF/HLA/540 RV 6052 17-MAY-1942 as part of the Historic England Thanet Landscape Mapping Project 2024. These anti-landing obstacles formed part of the extensive defenses along Pegwell Bay which were cleared after the war. (5-6)

<4> Historic England Archive, 1941-1960, Historic England Archive RAF vertical aerial photographs, RAF/HLA/540 RV 6052 17-MAY-1942 (Archive). SKE57101.

<5> Next Perspectives, 2003-2021, Next Perspectives APGB orthophotography, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 05-MAY-2018 (Archive). SKE57110.