Monument record MWX43966 - WWII slit trenches, Upstreet

Three WWII slit trenches visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946 [1], located near Upstreet. As these features were not visible on the Ordnance Survey 1938 edition [2] their construction can be attributed to WWII. The trenches were comprised of irregular linear ditches with external banking. These were likely defensive, particularly considering their proximity to a WWII banked gun pit (MWX43967) and a WWII pillbox (Mke42800). The features spanned an area measuring 170m x 50m. They were between 24m and 17m long; and 11m and 15m wide. The banking measured between 1.5m and 4m thick.

These were no longer visible on Google Earth photography taken in 2003 [3] or on MasterMap dating to 2009 [4].

A transcription of the features recorded from aerial photographs exists within a GIS layer held by this HER.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1928-1947, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 4th edition 1928-1947, 1938/1:2500 (Map). Ske12644.

<3> Google Earth, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 31-DEC-2003 ACCESSED 17-FEB-2011 (Graphic material). SWX15704.

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