Scheduled MonumentsEnglandBox Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre

Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre

England
List entry 1018074
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1018074
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.28 hectares
Grid reference
TQ 17733 51417
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Box Hill Fort is a Second World War anti-invasion fortification located on Box Hill near Dorking in Surrey. Constructed as part of the extensive defensive preparations undertaken following the fall of France in 1940, the fort served as a mobilisation centre and observation post designed to monitor and counter potential German invasion across southern England. The fortification comprises a concrete pillbox and associated earthworks positioned strategically on the hillside to command views of the surrounding landscape. Though substantially modified and partially obscured by later development and natural erosion, the site remains an important example of the emergency military architecture of the early 1940s.

Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1018074. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre?

Box Hill Fort is a Second World War anti-invasion fortification located on Box Hill near Dorking in Surrey. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1018074.

Who is responsible for protecting Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre?

Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1018074.

What other scheduled monuments are near Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Betchworth Castle (1.9 km), Bowl barrow in The Glory Wood (2.9 km), Bowl barrow on Milton Heath (3.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre

Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.

The wider landscape

Around Box Hill Fort: a London mobilisation centre

LondonRoman town · ~20.6 miles