Battle of Britain Defences at Dover (Pics)

I was at my parents the other week on the South Coast and in Paris.

Whilst I was away I came across these at Dover.

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Cheers Drew,
Are those on the Western Heights? Only been to Dover once and didn't have time to explore.
There's some stuff on Dover in Forum | Broken Britain - The Website

 

Sounds good to me, Adam. Last time I was there I spent more time looking at the surrounding hilltops than the road into town. The car nearly wandered off the road a few times!

 

I really should get out and have a serious look at some of these Kent defences. I pass stuff all the time, and recently discovered there is a BoB Radar Station only a mile or two from my house, pretty much intact! Expect photos to follow... eventually.

 

Have to agree with Owen on Dover Castle tunnels, only went once and that was when daughter was 4, so oh my 19 years ago!
What made it special was when we watched the film clips of Dunkirk one old chap didnt get up so quick afterwards. He was asked by the guide if he was ok, and said that he had just seen himself on the film and it had brought it all back. A Dunkirk veteran! if only I had had the chance to chat to him for a long while

Regards

Andy

 

Yeah they were taken at Western Heights....Remarkably (I thought) The picture looking past the harbour with the land in the distance is Calais.

The Military Canal near my folks at St. Mary's Bay is a nice walk too ending with a pub lunch. The farmers field opposite my parents has a line of pill boxes in it facing towards the beach at Dymchurch. I will walk across the field one day and have a butchers.

 

After meeting Rob, I took him to Western Heights and whilst there my girlfriend (She has her uses) pointed off into the distance saying, 'Whats that?' A 10 minute bimble later along some paths we discovered this rather impressive place.

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Rob showing the scale of the place and he's 8ft tall!
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Round the corner it went back for miles !
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Close up
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Another side.
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Rob and Andrea looking down into Dover Harbour and the Channel from the Redoubt vantage point.
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Looking down into the dry moat
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Another part just outside that appears to be under ground tunnels.
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I've never heard of these and they were a new discovery for me at the week end. I've done a very little research so far so if anyone knows anything about them feel free to post away

Cheers
Andy

 

Andy

If you keep ordering the ATB books, your other half will be booking you in there for bit of rehab. They don't open it to the public again until the end of May. That should do the trick:p

Rob.

 

I feel a trip down south coming on mate...It would be good to have a butchers inside

 

Did you look at the website I found. It looks great inside. As you say, well worth a gander at some stage.

AOL Search

 

Looking now mate!

During World War II, the Redoubt housed a squad of commandos that, in the event of invasion, would have been responsible for destroying Dover Harbour. Their presence was secret and the lines around the Redoubt were mined. Evidence of their stay are the sally ports in Caponiers 1 & 2, and the short tunnel leading from the encircling line to Drop Redoubt Road.

The entrance to Drop Redoubt was via a bridge. The inner third of this was pivoted so that the Redoubt could be isolated. The pivot and the recess into which the bridge swung can still be seen, although the bridge has long since gone. In the 1980s, a temporary scaffolding bridge was built by the Army to enable access for guided tours of the Redoubt, but this was removed in the middle 1990s to prevent unauthorised entry and vandalism.

 

Picture 8 is the North Entrance or the Hospital

North Entrance

Military Hospital

 

Picture 8 is the North Entrance or the Hospital

North Entrance

Military Hospital
Hi Drew 5233, I live in Dover and as a child used to play up here, it was still war dept then, and I have travelled through the North entrance many times in the past. pic8. It is a Z shaped tunnell, one vehicle width, that led to two bridges across two dry moats to take you out of the defences. It was closed when the powers that be built a new road through the dry moat. They also demolished the large gate the other side (Archcliffe), listed buildings I believe. The officers mess and main part of the Western Heights was ,after the war, in turn a prison, borstal, young offenders institute and now is an Immigration detention center.This whole complex was built for the Napoleonic Wars and to compliment the Castle defences the other side of the valley. They have open days certain times of the year and you can enter parts of the complex. Try the Dover Museum Site.regards dovermarine.

 

Cheers Dover M.

I've been looking at the link above and they have another open day with re-enactors etc in May which I think I may go too.

There doesn't seem to be as much info on the Dover Museum site:

Dover Museum - 19th Century

Dover Museum - 20th Century

Cheers for your comments though....It certainly seems to be an interesting place that has a bit more to offer. Funny you should mention about playing there as a child - One of my first comments to Rob when we saw it was, 'Imagine what it must have been like growing up here as a child'

Regards
Andy

 

Interesting there was a unit of Commando's based there during WW2 who's task it was to destroy Dover and the Harbour should there be an invasion.

I bet that would have been some job

 

Hi Andy ,there is a small book that was published by Kent County library called Dover,s Forgotten Fortress, by J. Welby that has a lot of info. in it. The main part of the defences is called the Citadel, now the detention center. There is.another fort, Archcliffe Fort originally started 14th century, that is down on the main A20 that protected the seashore, now used by Emmanus, a charity. The entrance to this was partially demolished to make way for the dual carrigeway.There is also the Admiralty pier gun turret that has two 80 ton guns sealed inside as it was easier to leave them there than take them out. Again there are small books about these sites that may still be available. I can look in the museum shop next time I,m in the library if you were interested, if not I,ve got about 50 local history books that I can consult, but I,m not to sure on how to post pics on here, I have to email photos to spidge.regards Derek.

 

Cheers Derek,

Very Interesting...If I'm honest I dare not get anymore books for fear of Mrs Drew's Wrath but any web links would be great and of course reading your comments are intersting too.

Any pics you wish to post you can email me and I'd be happy to put them on here for you

Cheers again
Andy

 

Interesting there was a unit of Commando's based there during WW2 who's task it was to destroy Dover and the Harbour should there be an invasion.

I bet that would have been some job
Andy, there is a gun site,St Martins battery, that over looks the harbour and the guns could fire into the harbour and at the piers if required to do so in case of invasion or raids. It was by the small car park where the Archcliffe gate stood. You should visit when the Grand Shaft, a triple staircase, is open. normally Bank holidays, Derek