Coastguard station recorded on the Ordnance Survey 1877 edition [1]. The same monument is recorded on the Ordnance Survey 1899 edition [2], but is labelled in a different position, making identification of the structure difficult. The site was no longer recorded on the Ordnance Survey 1938 edition [3], though ‘Coastguard Cottages’ are recorded. It was not visible on MasterMap dating to 2009 [4], though the cottages are still labelled. The area was given a monument point, rather than a polygon due to the uncertain nature of the location. This was undertaken during historic mapping enhancement as part of Phase 1 of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey.

The coastguard station is also possibly the site of a First World War early warning station for RFC 50 Squadron at Harrietsham. The increasing number of attacks on London during the First World War led to a need to have an integrated home defence system. The War Office with the Royal Flying Corps took an increasing role in home defence as the war progressed. 9.2.2 The London Air Defence Area (LADA) was created from 191 7–9918 by Major General Ashmore. This demanded the integrated reporting of sightings of enemy aircraft that would be collated on an operations table and then the threat dealt with using both Anti-Aircraft guns with searchlights and by calling up aircraft from local areas. National Archives file A1/305/15/226/164 suggests that by 1918 a number of RFC squadrons operated the wireless sets as part of the LADA. (5)

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1862-1875, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 1st Edition : 1862-1875, 1877/1:2500 (Map). SWX11831.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1893-7, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 2nd edition : 1893-1898, 1899/1:2500 (Map). SWX11832.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1928-1947, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 4th edition 1928-1947, 1898/1:2500 (Map). Ske12644.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 2009, OS MasterMap, 2009/MasterMap (Cartographic materials). SWX15710.

<5> Oxford Archaeological South, 2016, First World War Wireless Stations in England. (Bibliographic reference). SKE31551.