More information : TQ 7660 7424. A Second World War defended locality on Deangate Ridge has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. The site comprises a series of barbed wire enclosures and small weapons pits or gun emplacements. The largest enclosure has an irregular perimeter 148.5m by 143.3m, centred on an earthwork mound representing a probable First World War redoubt (Monument 1546125) which may have been reused as a Second World War defensive feature. Two rectangular enclosures are appended to the north western side of the irregular enclosure, at TQ 7657 7432 (42.5m by 41.7m) and TQ 7653 7436 (60.1m by 58.8m). The northernmost rectangular enclosure contains at least four small gun emplacements or weapons pits (two at TQ 7653 7436, one at TQ 7651 7436, one at TQ 7651 7438). Just outside the enclosure on the eastern side is another weapons pit (TQ 7664 7435) and a small structure, probably a hut (TQ 7666 7433). Also within the largest enclosure are two anti tank pillboxes (Monument 1426099 and 1426109).
The defended locality is located near the north east corner of the Lodge Hill Ordnance Depot (Monument 1077634) and spans the space between depot's northern boundary and part of the Hoo Stop Line (Monument 1542577 and 1542687). It probably formed part of the defences of both installations. A similar defended locality, also occupying the space between Lodge Hill Depot and the Hoo Stop Line, is located about 800m to the west (Monument 1546483).
A German map of 1940 bears the symbol for a barbed wire entanglement at roughly this location. The first aerial photographic evidence for this defended locality dates to May 1944. (1-3) |