the sound mirrors at Denge kent

[blazerman]

Not sure if been done before on here but anyway visited here yesterday on a guided tour by a DR Richard Scarth with 170 other people !A bit further inland than we have been visiting but we were still surrounded by water as these three sound mirrors are on a island in the middle of a disused gravel pit.They were part of an early warning system and built between 1928 and 1930 to be part of a chain around the south east but made redundunt in 1935 by the coming of radar . the first one 20ft the second 30ft and third 200ft by 26ft and this one had a range of 35miles on a quite still day !

[simonsfotos]

Nice to see these. However, flaming grafitti vandals strike again. :argh:

[Topdog]

I used to play on those as a kid. Great fun catapulting stones at them, never hurt anyone but people would probably kick up a fuss these days. Is the old sunken mulberry harbour still visible off the Dungeness coast?

[blazerman]

yes it is planned to go back in a couple of weeks or this w/end and have a paddle around it if tide and weather are ok. there is a locked swing bridge to stop people getting to mirrors but the kids either swim or try to build there own. the countryside warden spent the time we were there hooking out pallets and bits of wood from there last attempt of bridge building but looking at the area around carnt be much else to do! bit bleak in winter i should think.

[abn deuce]

Thank You for the posting and the photo's , I hand never seen or known about such devices before !

[Joris]

Great stuff, never knew it existed!

[Snapper]

Been wanting to get out to them for the best part of twenty five years. Never managed it.

 

The man involved with the building and operation was the father of the famous Spycatcher author Peter Wright.

 

 

MB

[Rlangham]

There's also a number of WW1 sound mirrors around - see the aviation section for my post 'WW1 Zeppelin patrol' and there's an aerial view of one, have a few more I keep meaning to upload...

[Joris]

Another one of your fabulous trips on the front page! Keep them coming!!!!!

[les freathy]

As a old Lydder i was told lots of stories about the locaters and we also used to walk out to them as kids and see how far we could run up the curve before sliding back, there is also one on the roughs at Palmarsh visable from the A259 and as i type this i can see it from the study window. Exciting life we lead here eh!

[Great War truck]

Fascinating.

Thanks

 

Tim (too)