History and Background: This site first came to my attention many years ago when it was mentioned in a booklet produced by the Kent Defence Research Group called Handbook of Kent’s Defences back in 1977. This was merely a gazetteer of OS map references and descriptions and this site was described as an anti-aircraft station. More delving back then found that it was logged as a technical site for coordinating the numerous anti-aircraft sites in Dover and surrounds. I then visited the site and despite it being very overgrown there are a number of collapsed buildings on the now wooded site.
Moving forwards when there was more internet information and aerial views available I then discovered in fact this was part of a large anti-aircraft site which was designated as D8 but there is little early history not even in Colin Dobinson’s A.A. Command book it does not even get a mention in the 1940 list of H.A.A. sites either.
Aerial view shows it was being constructed in 1940 and consisted of six emplacements for 3.7” guns and the associated domestic site across the lane. The high ground that it was sited on is called Poison Down. Further information that it was not armed in 1942 but was manned by Dover Section 71 AA Brigade in June 1944 when it was used as an Operation Diver static site for intercepting V1 missiles heading for London and re numbered as NF18.
The site remained post war and became part of the Nucleus Force programme in 1946 which was the post war ROTOR programme using sites with either 3.7” or 5.25” guns. but seems to have been demolished and returned to farmland by 1957-60. The domestic site remained though and some still survives today in the form of a latrine block and collapsed Nissen huts. The only remaining part of the actual gun site is the brick pyrotechnic store.
The explore: As stated previously the site is very overgrown but is easily accessible as a public footpath runs close by.
Gun site 1940
Domestic site 1940
Domestic site plan 1957
Latrine block taken on a previous visit.
Finally the Pyrotechnic store over the lane.
Moving forwards when there was more internet information and aerial views available I then discovered in fact this was part of a large anti-aircraft site which was designated as D8 but there is little early history not even in Colin Dobinson’s A.A. Command book it does not even get a mention in the 1940 list of H.A.A. sites either.
Aerial view shows it was being constructed in 1940 and consisted of six emplacements for 3.7” guns and the associated domestic site across the lane. The high ground that it was sited on is called Poison Down. Further information that it was not armed in 1942 but was manned by Dover Section 71 AA Brigade in June 1944 when it was used as an Operation Diver static site for intercepting V1 missiles heading for London and re numbered as NF18.
The site remained post war and became part of the Nucleus Force programme in 1946 which was the post war ROTOR programme using sites with either 3.7” or 5.25” guns. but seems to have been demolished and returned to farmland by 1957-60. The domestic site remained though and some still survives today in the form of a latrine block and collapsed Nissen huts. The only remaining part of the actual gun site is the brick pyrotechnic store.
The explore: As stated previously the site is very overgrown but is easily accessible as a public footpath runs close by.
Gun site 1940
Domestic site 1940
Domestic site plan 1957
Latrine block taken on a previous visit.
Finally the Pyrotechnic store over the lane.
