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Report - - Explosives Factory & Forts - Cliffe, Kent (March 2021) | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Explosives Factory & Forts - Cliffe, Kent (March 2021)

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Bobexplores

28DL Member
28DL Member
My first post so please bear with me if this is all over the place.

I had been eyeing up this site for at least a year now on google maps. It just looked like a few old buildings so I wasn’t in any rush. Then I see Cliffe Fort and Shornmead Fort are both close by, so I go check it out..

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This was the original site I had planned to visit.

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Two treks, the first was the lower half, parking at yellow I walked to Cliffe Fort 1st (pink), then down to Shornmead Fort (blue). The return trip is around 7 miles, all on public footpaths. Did not disappoint, I had seen a couple other sites of interest via google maps...
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No idea what this is, I read there were cement works over here so I’m assuming it’s to to with that. This was on the way to Cliff Fort.
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Right on the edge of a (quarry)? None of the workers were bothered by me being there. I didn’t stick around for too long. You could possibly get thru one of the windows but there were a lot of cameras around for the worksite so bear that in mind. After this it was onto the other fort..
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Not as impressive but you do have full access. After these, it was back to the car and onto my second site.

Since visiting I’ve properly researched the site and found out it was a former explosives factory. I’ve attached a link to the pdf with full maps and survey information, including a site accident log!

https://research.historicengland.or...and Analysis of the Factory Remains. Volume 2

Pipe Pool Mound, this is the closest named location I could find (and where I parked). There were a few walkers around but that was it. After around a mile up a track, I could see a large concrete building, oh man it did not disappoint.

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I did not expect that long building, looked like a barn on maps.
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By this point I was excited to run around and check it out, but also knackered. Literally finding new odd buildings at every turn.
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I’ve since learnt this was called Nitroglycerin Hill
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Safe to say I’ll be going back to this site for a longer look around. There were wild sheep and horses around. I also bumped into the farmer on a quad bike (With dogs) when I got back to my car. His main concern was litter being left behind, otherwise he seemed fine.
 

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Olkka

Chillin at the structure
Regular User
This is one of my favourite places ever! nicely photographed
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Very nice report, great quality photos. Ive done both Cliff fort & Shornmead , but didnt know there was explosives factory around. I loved Cliff, took a while to get into, but it was worth the climbing tbh.
 

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