Radar site near Brookland, Kent

**Jerry** · 26-07-2009, 12:11

Just happened to pass the old radar site near Brookland, Kent.

Sorry about the lack of history, I CAN'T FIND ANY, however the site was sold for £220,000.00 in 1986.

The location of the site is :

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=50.98....4&r=0&src=msl

A map of the site:

The main gate onto the site:

The buildings are around the edge of the site, some have been reclad with UPVC:

The 2 features that are in the middle of the site, firstly a raised area with a low wall:

The second feature is a round concrete ring:

One last look back, and off we went:

But not on the bus that was resting in the undergrowth:

**Carnaby** · 26-07-2009, 16:16

Originally Posted by Jerry

The location of the site is :
http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=50.98....4&r=0&src=msl

Noticed it's just up the road from the Rye Chain Home station here

And what is this just to the south?

Graham

**PNK** · 26-07-2009, 17:14

The just south thing is a wind farm under construction. Only some of the turbines are visible.

**RadarArchive** · 10-05-2010, 08:34

I think this (the original subject of the thread) is almost certainly the Domestic Site for Rye CH station. The buildings are of the right type and I can't think what else it would be.

**Roger Dalleywater** · 12-09-2011, 12:35

Originally Posted by RadarArchive

I think this (the original subject of the thread) is almost certainly the Domestic Site for Rye CH station. The buildings are of the right type and I can't think what else it would be.

Yes it is/was the site of the domestic unit for the Radar Station up the road. I can confirm as I was stationed there as a National Serviceman in 1955. I have passed it on numerous occaisions, noting it's changes over the years.

**StreeterN** · 07-03-2013, 12:21

Hi,

My Uncle William Turner who also served in WWI was stationed at Brooklands during WWII. He was there when it was attacked by Stukas around July to August 1940 and was blown up in the raid. He was initially taken to the Rye hill house hospital, then transferred to the Royal East Sussex Hospital in Hastings. From there he went to St. Helens Hospital. He recounted that it definitely housed a radar installation which was destroyed in that raid, but due to his injuries didn't go back to know whether it was rebuilt.

WilliamTurner.jpg

Regards Neil

**OldTG12** · 08-03-2013, 12:22

Interesting. I wasn't aware that any CH radar was actually destroyed in 1940? I'm aware of Ventnor and Dover going off air for a short while due to damage to the power systems during air raids but the all the towers / transmitters / receiver blocks survived intact?

**marka12** · 09-04-2013, 16:34

IIRC poling was also damaged and couldn't receive but they kept transmitting to maintain the ilusion the station was still operational.

No radar block or tower was destroyed in the raids,a bomb at either pevensey or poling cracked the roof and the shingle fell through onto the toilet below.
OldTG12 is correct that the affect was mainly on power supplies and the hazard of unexploded bombs

**SimonGee** · 09-04-2013, 20:10

I used to stop off there whilst on holiday in the area in the mid eighties. Then it was a well established Phillipino craft 'village', selling various ethnic curios. I had been led to believe at the time that the site had been the domestic site for an anti-aircraft battery. I'm very surprised that no-one has ever 'liberated' that Jeepney bus and restored it.

Would cetainly be a novel form of transport - !