Public access has not been confirmed. The historical record does not give permission to enter, cross private land or open hatches.
Read the information we checked ↗ · checked 2026-09-13
Use public paths and visitor areas. Do not enter unstaffed tunnels, shafts, railway land or restricted property.
Advice before you visitInformation checked 2026-09-13. We checked published records and visitor information. No site visit or direct confirmation from the operator.
The story of this place
The battery appears in aerial photographs from February 1953 but not in the 1946 photographs cited by Historic England. It was designed for four 3.7-inch guns and is thought never to have been armed.
The listing cautiously links it to the early Cold War Igloo programme. That connection remains qualified. Prepared gun positions show what was planned, but do not prove that weapons arrived or were fired from the site.
What you can see
The recorded remains include gun positions, a generator building, command post and Nissen hut. Together, they show the need for power, coordination and accommodation alongside the intended weapons.
The listing also describes a later division of ownership. We have not confirmed current access across the whole former layout or entry to individual buildings. This is a historical account based on the record, not a new inspection or an advertised visitor destination.
What we still need to check
The source describes the remains at the time they were recorded. We have not checked their present condition, ownership or visitor arrangements.
Sources for the visiting information
- Historic England — Cold War Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery lying on land to east of Harty Ferry Road ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
About the original record
This place is recorded by Historic England / Planning Data. The details below include the original description of its building or site type.
Place details
- Category
- Cold War
- Building or site type (original wording)
- Cold War Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery lying on land to east of Harty Ferry Road
- Period or date
- After 1946, visible by February 1953
- Current condition
- Not checked in person
- Heritage protection
- Scheduled monument
- Date protection was granted
- 2023-03-23
- Nearby town
- Canterbury (approximate)
- County named in the original record
- Kent
- Current county or council area
- Kent
- Nation
- England
- Original record number
- 1477350
- Coordinates
- 51.391266, 0.888375 (reference point, not an entrance)
- Heritage data checked
- 2026-09-13
- Source last updated
- 2026-08-28
- Visitor information checked
- 2026-09-13
We checked the downloaded heritage record on 2026-09-13. We have not visited or inspected the site. The map point may refer to a whole site, one structure or a location where little remains.