# Capel Le Ferne Battery, Kent - July 2014



## SlimJim (Jul 10, 2014)

Another little explore to cure my frustration of sitting around all the time doing work! Had a great little potter around, among the company of foxes, slow worms and butterflies 

Same deal as the rest of the coastal batteries in the area. Not a lot is extant on the surface, nor underground, but there's some bits still worth seeing. There was a big hoo-ha not long ago over access rights to the land and there was a court battle to get gates unblocked for walkers. The land owner has excavated the site with hopes of eventually making it into a tourist attraction.

Great views over the top as always.


DSC01537 by slimjim_90, on Flickr

One of the gun emplacements that was dug up in recent years.


DSC01539 by slimjim_90, on Flickr

Stairs leading down to the emplacement.


DSC01540 by slimjim_90, on Flickr

Room with a steel door at the bottom. The room was small and filled with crud.


DSC01541 by slimjim_90, on Flickr

Blocked off rooms at the bottom of the emplacement.


DSC01542 by slimjim_90, on Flickr

Nice old ironwork.


DSC01543 by slimjim_90, on Flickr

A relatively shallow passage. I couldn't see any doorways or hatches below, so I didn't bother going down. Appeared to be something to do with drainage or something that had been partially filled?


DSC01545 by slimjim_90, on Flickr

Another shaft, only this one was DEEP! It must have been the entrance to the plotting room, which I was unable to gain access to.


DSC01547 by slimjim_90, on Flickr

A mushy fumble down into the deep shelter entrance revealed that it was well and truly collapsed at the bottom, as expected.


DSC01552 by slimjim_90, on Flickr

A little further down.


DSC01556 by slimjim_90, on Flickr

Another good little explore, even if there wasn't much around. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Thanks for looking!

SJ.


----------



## UrbanX (Jul 10, 2014)

Nice one! Looks like a muddy day out


----------



## flyboys90 (Jul 10, 2014)

Looks like you had a great explore here?great place for a keep left sign! thanks for sharing.


----------



## oldscrote (Jul 10, 2014)

There's a long running set of posts about the access thingy here

http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=9335.0


----------



## SlimJim (Jul 10, 2014)

oldscrote said:


> There's a long running set of posts about the access thingy here
> 
> http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=9335.0



Seems to have taken some time to free it up. Will be interesting to see if the land owner pens off the buildings and does further work digging it out as he wants to. As I understand there was a treatment room in the deep shelter complex.


----------



## sparky230 (Jul 15, 2014)

A further application has been made to reclose the entrances created for kcc, as kcc for over a year have failed to maintain the footpaths or the saxon shore way, in fact the wooden stairs from the saxon shore way to little swtzerland is now dangerous


----------



## chubs (Aug 25, 2014)

for some reason i thought somebody lived in here. nice to see a bit more than what is aw on my visit!


----------



## Dick Derpin (Sep 12, 2014)

Darkhole and myself stubbled across this about a year back. When we where there it looked like there was someone living in the bunker, had T.V ariel on the roof and a water tank etc, very weird!


----------



## SlimJim (Sep 14, 2014)

Prickly_buzz said:


> Darkhole and myself stubbled across this about a year back. When we where there it looked like there was someone living in the bunker, had T.V ariel on the roof and a water tank etc, very weird!



I think there was a water tower, some antennas and a couple of containers there when I went. Might have been for the labourers or archaeologists digging the place out during the day. I suppose work has stopped for the moment with the land opening up to the public, but still worth keeping an eye on in the near future to see what they're up to. 

The PR has undoubtedly been capped off/made inaccessible by the landowner after the 'usual bunch' started laying there claims to finding it and spreading it's precise location all over the internet!


----------

