The fairly widely dispersed bomb craters are centred at TR 0834 2067, and are visible across an area measuring approximately 352m east to west and 246m north to south. They are scattered across the area surrounding the 18th century fort at Lade, and fall within the rough square formed by Taylor Road, Williamson Road, and Coast Drive. Ten of the possible bomb craters range in diameter from four to nine metres. They are unusual in appearance for bomb craters in that they consist of a round mound with a hole or depression in the top. It is thought that a comparatively small bomb might have caused this effect in the loose shingle characteristic of the ground in this area; by a small explosion at the point of impact causing the shingle to be upcast into a circular bank around the small central crater. This is however, speculation, and it is also possible that the shingle was banked-up to conceal structures such as land mines. The largest possible bomb crater measures approximately 17m in diameter, and is centred at TR 2825 2070, on the southern side of Taylor Road. By the time of the next available vertical aerial photograph of 1959, none of the bomb crater earthworks are visible, and had presumably been in-filled and levelled due to their close proximity to housing. The group of four possible bomb craters at the junction of Taylor Road and Coast Drive occupy an area which had been developed for housing by 1959 (1-2).

<1> 1946, NMR CPE/UK/1752 3002-3 21-SEPT-1946 (Photograph). SWX23759.

<2> RAF, 1959, NMR RAF/58/2778 0199-0200 01-MAY-1959 (Photograph). SWX23876.