Deal to Sandwich ancient highway

[beefmagic]

Evening all,

I've taken to cycling the ancient highway in the evenings to keep fit and have spotted a few interesting things along the way. Firstly the ruined building which appears to have been left located just past the golf shop. Any ideas what this was? It looks like a house but I can't see any reason for it to have been left if thats the case unless it's a memorial to something.

The second is the pill box but i'll open a seperate topic in the pillbox section to discuss that.

Thanks in advance

Dan

[TowerWill]

Hello beefmagic and welcome to KHF.That used to be part of my favourite cycle ride from Dover to Sandwich through the lanes.But that was mainly in the 1970's.If it's much the same along there would that be the Royal Cingue Ports golf club?Is there still a farm just past the golf club?I'll have to look at G.E. to remind me of the layout of the area.

[TowerWill]

I see on Google Earth that not a lot seems to have altered.Where the tarmac road makes a dog leg bend there appears to be a farm on the left and some other buildings on the right,much as i remember it.Where exactly would your old building be?I was using G.E. to look for a gun battery the other day but that was on the nearby seawall.

[unfairytale]

The pillbox:
http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=3933.0

Are you talking about the building that is on the Deal side of the golf shop?

The memorial to Mary Bax is also on this road.
http://www.lyddenvalley.org.uk/crime.php

Which also features somewhere on the KHF.

[beefmagic]

The building is located on the deal side of the golf club yes.

I was up there again yesterday so I took the camera and got a few snaps. On closer inspection it looks like a very small house with a back garden wall. However like I said in OP I can't see a reason why it would just be left unless there is some reason why it can't be removed.

Here are the pictures.

Here are the pictures









As you can see it looks like one room with a door leading out the back. Behind is a wall which looks like a garden wall. Also what looks like a broken chimney inside.

The road sign opposite to give you an idea where it is.



Dan

[TowerWill]

I think it's a bit too close to Sandown Castle to be connected with No1 gun battery but the brickwork looks rather like as being from that era.I can't recall what the brickwork is like at No2 gun battery at Sandwich Bay(hope i've got the battery numbers right).Another look at Google Earth and measuring device required.A nice find and photos beefmagic.

[seafordpete]

That is not a chimney but a salt glaze drain pipe. Why not remove the building  - cos it costs money !  Loads of unwanted buildings everywhere, who is going to pay to get planning consent, demolish the building, clear the waste (possibly contaminated) and then make the site good?  Easier & cheaper to let nature work

[TowerWill]

I can think of one slowly decaying building out in a field left alone because of(presumably)the landowner's fond memories.I can't find these ruins on G.E. yet.Looks like someone put cement rendering on the interior at a later date.I'm curious as to it's original use.

[unfairytale]

I know where you mean now. I too have cycled past this place hundreds of times, although often too fast to get a clear view.
It's marked as Redhouse Barn in the 1877 O.S. Map. On the 1899 map which is much clearer, it looks the same as it does now on Google Earth!
  The way the render carries on to the floor, it looks to me as if it's been 'tanked' to make cleaning it out much easier indicating that it's been used as a pigsty or something similar.

[TowerWill]

I'll have to look on one of those old maps for it.Yes riding the pushbike along the Ancient Highway is very much an eyes on the road job with all those potholes.It used to be mainly sand and rubble after the Chequers pub until some tarmac was laid for a golf open at Sandwich.