Public access has not been confirmed. The mapped point covers a wider historic site, not an entrance. Do not enter buildings, hatches, farmland or restricted areas.
Read the information we checked ↗ · checked 2026-09-22
Use public paths and visitor areas. Do not enter unstaffed tunnels, shafts, railway land or restricted property.
Advice before you visitInformation checked 2026-09-22. We checked the official heritage record. No site visit or direct confirmation from a landowner or operator.
The story of this place
Work began at Swingate in 1936, before the Second World War. It became one of Britain’s earliest Chain Home radar stations. Receivers here picked up signals that helped locate approaching aircraft, with reports passed into the air-defence system. The station was attacked in August 1940, but Historic England says its operations continued.
The site acquired other jobs over time. A small building held equipment to help distinguish friendly aircraft from enemy aircraft. In 1962 the Royal Observer Corps added an underground post to look for signs of nuclear attack and monitor radiation. The post operated until 1968.
- Historic England — Swingate radar receiver site and monitoring post ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-22
What remains
Historic England lists the receiver building, bases of three former wooden towers, the aircraft-identification cubicle and the later monitoring post. The towers themselves were removed. One official entry therefore covers remains from several different periods.
The designation describes the site as redundant and farmed when surveyed. We have not checked its present use or any visitor arrangements. It should not be read as a public radar museum or an accessible bunker.
- Historic England — Swingate radar receiver site and monitoring post ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-22
What we still need to check
The official record is detailed on the historic remains but does not confirm present condition, ownership or visitor access.
Sources for the visiting information
- Historic England — Swingate radar receiver site and monitoring post ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-22
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)
- Receiver site and Royal Observer Corps Underground Nuclear Monitoring Post, former Swingate Chain Home Radar Station
- Period or date
- Built 1936–1938; later wartime and Cold War use
- Current condition
- Not checked in person
- Heritage protection
- II
- Date protection was granted
- 2012-07-13
- Nearby town
- Dover (approximate)
- County named in the original record
- Kent
- Current county or council area
- Kent
- Nation
- England
- Original record number
- 1405533
- Coordinates
- 51.140292, 1.341447 (reference point, not an entrance)
- Heritage data checked
- 2026-09-13
- Source last updated
- 2026-09-12
- Visitor information checked
- 2026-09-22
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.