Thames Estuary site

[TJJ]

I have seen this site from the air several times and it has intrigued me. It is on the south Bank of the Thames opposite East Tilbury and Coalhouse Fort. I assume it was probably an anti-aircraft site guarding the approaches to London from the east, like the towers/forts in the Thames itself. There are a lot of earthworks visible.

Anyone know what it was?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/YakRider/EastTilbury.jpg

[PNK]

That site looks like an ammuniton or explosive storage site associated with production.

[PNK]

If it's the one near Cliffe on the Isle of Grain it may be the Curtiss & Harvey explosives site. It appears to have been active between 1901 and 1921 (various internet sources & may required confirmation). I am amazed it has survived so well if it closed in the 1920s but then it is in a wet and isolated place.

[P Bellamy]

It's the old Messrs. Curtis and Harvey Ltd. Nitroglycerine Factory at Cliffe (1890s-1920s), along with the adjacent HM Cordite Factory.

The EH National Monuments Record for the site can be read HERE (http://pastscape.english-heritage.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1075508).

All the best,
PB

[TJJ]

Thanks for the info. Amazing so much is still there as there is some gravel extraction in the area.

Apparently there was an explosion there in October 1917, when someone called Harry Dorrington was killed.

[PETERTHEEATER]

The group of four structures in the centre (ish) of the pic are those surviving out of seven.

The traversed stores to the left of these were built during WW1.

An interesting site but not a lot of contemporary evidence survives to pinpoint the function of some buildings.