Monument record TQ 92 NW 18 - The Royal Military Canal

Summary

Disused defensive canal built during the Napoleonic Wars from 1804 and 1809 in response to the threat of invasion. Tolls were charged for civilian traffic along the road and commercial barges were charged by the load. The canal was originally 60 feet wide and 9 feet deep with an adjacent rampart (parapet and banquette), a military road and government drain on the landward side, the towpath and another adjacent drain was to seaward. At every third of a mile it was deliberately bent. These positions were defended by eighteen pounder cannons positioned on raised banks. The canal was sold off in sections in the late 19th century, but was taken over by the military in both world war I and world war II. In both wars gun emplacements were sighted in virtually the same places as the original eighteen pound cannon sites. Summary from record TQ 02 NW 20: Disused defensive canal built during the Napoleonic Wars from 1804 and 1809 in response to the threat of invasion. Tolls were charged for civilian traffic along the road and commercial barges were charged by the load. The canal was originally 60 feet wide and 9 feet deep with an adjacent rampart (parapet and banquette), a military road and government drain on the landward side, the towpath and another adjacent drain was to seaward. At every third of a mile it was deliberately bent. These positions were defended by eighteen pounder cannons positioned on raised banks. The canal was sold off in sections in the late 19th century, but was taken over by the military in both world war I and world war II. In both wars gun emplacements were sighted in virtually the same places as the original eighteen pound cannon sites. Summary from record TQ 92 NE 89: Disused defensive canal built during the Napoleonic Wars from 1804 and 1809 in response to the threat of invasion. Tolls were charged for civilian traffic along the road and commercial barges were charged by the load. The canal was originally 60 feet wide and 9 feet deep with an adjacent rampart (parapet and banquette), a military road and government drain on the landward side, the towpath and another adjacent drain was to seaward. At every third of a mile it was deliberately bent. These positions were defended by eighteen pounder cannons positioned on raised banks. The canal was sold off in sections in the late 19th century, but was taken over by the military in both world war I and world war II. In both wars gun emplacements were sighted in virtually the same places as the original eighteen pound cannon sites. Summary from record TQ 93 SE 21: Disused defensive canal built during the Napoleonic Wars from 1804 and 1809 in response to the threat of invasion. Tolls were charged for civilian traffic along the road and commercial barges were charged by the load. The canal was originally 60 feet wide and 9 feet deep with an adjacent rampart (parapet and banquette), a military road and government drain on the landward side, the towpath and another adjacent drain was to seaward. At every third of a mile it was deliberately bent. These positions were defended by eighteen pounder cannons positioned on raised banks. The canal was sold off in sections in the late 19th century, but was taken over by the military in both world war I and world war II. In both wars gun emplacements were sighted in virtually the same places as the original eighteen pound cannon sites.

Location

Grid reference Centred TR 0644 3011 (24793m by 9662m) Centred on
Map sheet TR03SE
County KENT
District ASHFORD, KENT
Civil Parish ALDINGTON, ASHFORD, KENT
Civil Parish APPLEDORE, ASHFORD, KENT
Civil Parish BILSINGTON, ASHFORD, KENT
Civil Parish BONNINGTON, ASHFORD, KENT
Civil Parish KENARDINGTON, ASHFORD, KENT
Civil Parish ORLESTONE, ASHFORD, KENT
Civil Parish RUCKINGE, ASHFORD, KENT
Civil Parish STONE-CUM-EBONY, ASHFORD, KENT
Civil Parish WAREHORNE, ASHFORD, KENT
District FOLKESTONE AND HYTHE, KENT
Civil Parish BURMARSH, SHEPWAY, KENT
Civil Parish HYTHE, SHEPWAY, KENT
Civil Parish LYMPNE, SHEPWAY, KENT
Civil Parish STANHOPE, ASHFORD, KENT

Map

Type and Period (5)

Full Description

Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

Oxford Archaeology, 2005, Shorne Wood Country Park (Unpublished document). SWX12846.

<1> P.A.L. Vine, 1972, The Royal Military Canal (Monograph). SKE7087.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1995, Royal Military Canal, Kenardington Culvert, Watching and Recording Brief (Unpublished document). SKE7088.

<3> Chris Blandford Associates, 1992, A259 Dymchurch to M20 (Junction 11) Stage 1 Heritage (Unpublished document). SKE6769.

<4> Chris Blandford Associates, 1994, A259 Dymchurch to M20 (J11) Draft Brief for Archaeological Field Evaluation (Unpublished document). SKE6884.

<5> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2003, The Royal Military Canal: An Archaeological Watching Brief and Evaluation during works between Seabrook near Folkstone and West Hythe. (Unpublished document). SKE16591.

<6> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2005, Royal Military Canal and Hallhouse Farm, Appledore, Kent. Survey and Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE17038.

<8> Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

<9> Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

<10> English Heritage, 2004, Defence areas: a national study of Second World War anti-invasion landscapes in England (Unpublished document). SKE17661.

Sources/Archives (11)

  • --- Index: Historic England. National Heritage List for England.
  • --- Unpublished document: Oxford Archaeology. 2005. Shorne Wood Country Park.
  • <1> Monograph: P.A.L. Vine. 1972. The Royal Military Canal.
  • <2> Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 1995. Royal Military Canal, Kenardington Culvert, Watching and Recording Brief.
  • <3> Unpublished document: Chris Blandford Associates. 1992. A259 Dymchurch to M20 (Junction 11) Stage 1 Heritage.
  • <4> Unpublished document: Chris Blandford Associates. 1994. A259 Dymchurch to M20 (J11) Draft Brief for Archaeological Field Evaluation.
  • <5> Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 2003. The Royal Military Canal: An Archaeological Watching Brief and Evaluation during works between Seabrook near Folkstone and West Hythe..
  • <6> Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 2005. Royal Military Canal and Hallhouse Farm, Appledore, Kent. Survey and Assessment.
  • <8> Index: Historic England. National Heritage List for England.
  • <9> Index: Historic England. National Heritage List for England.
  • <10> Unpublished document: English Heritage. 2004. Defence areas: a national study of Second World War anti-invasion landscapes in England.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (8)

  • Non-Intrusive Event: Desk-based assessment and conservation assessment of Hallhouse Farm, Appledore and an adjacent length of the Royal Military Canal. (Ref: ARH/DA/04) (EKE11300)
  • Intrusive Event: Evaluation of the Royal Military Canal at Hythe (Ref: RMC 01 & RMCEV 02) (EKE10831)
  • Intrusive Event: Excavation, Royal Military Canal, A2070, 1992 (EKE21117)
  • Intrusive Event: Watching brief at Kenardington culvert, Royal Military Canal (EKE5224)
  • Intrusive Event: Watching brief during construction of Palmarsh footbridge, Hythe (EKE10845)
  • Intrusive Event: Watching brief during stripping of first gun emplacement platform, east of Cannongate Road, Hythe (EKE10847)
  • Intrusive Event: Watching brief during the levelling of a section of the rampart to allow for dredging at Seaview Bridge, Royal Military Canal (EKE10846)
  • Intrusive Event: Watching brief during the reinstatement of the Military Road, Hythe (EKE10844)

Related Thematic Articles (1)

Record last edited

Nov 30 2021 12:04PM