Monument record ARG 036 - A World War II strongpoint and slit trench on Thorpeness common.

A World War II strongpoint and slit trench are visible as structures on aerial photographs, centred on TM47226006. The strongpoint is first established in 1940, as a slit trench circa 20m long, situated so as to overlook a road junction in Thorpeness (S1). In 1941, the slit trench is surrounded bay barbed wire, enclosing nearly 300 square metres (S2). In 1942, the slit trench is no longer surrounded by barbed wire, but a new rectangular barbed wire enclosure is visible immediately to the north east of the trench, centred on circa TM47236008. There are features inside this area, presumably military in nature, but it is not possible to see them clearly on the photographs available (S3). A small zigzag shaped slit trench, circa 10m in length, is located roughly 100m to the north east of the above strongpoint, at circa TM47306014. It appears to have been located to compliment the larger strongpoint by covering a second road junction into Thorpeness. Neither of these features are visible on photographs from 1945 (S4).