Scheduled MonumentsEnglandRoyal Military Canal, Coastguard Cottages to Wickham Cliff

Royal Military Canal, Coastguard Cottages to Wickham Cliff

England
List entry 1002214
Nation
England
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Royal Military Canal, Coastguard Cottages to Wickham Cliff is a defensive earthwork constructed during the Napoleonic Wars, specifically built between 1804 and 1807 as part of Britain's coastal fortification programme against potential French invasion. The canal forms part of the wider Royal Military Canal system that extends across Romney Marsh and the Kent-Sussex border, comprising an artificial waterway with associated banks and structures designed to create an anti-invasion barrier. This section of the monument runs between the named locations and retains its characteristic linear form as an engineered water defence, representing early nineteenth-century military engineering practices and strategic coastal protection. The canal remains substantially visible in the landscape as an integral component of the Napoleonic-era defensive infrastructure that shaped the Sussex and Kent coastline.

Royal Military Canal, Coastguard Cottages to Wickham Cliff is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002214. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Royal Military Canal, Coastguard Cottages to Wickham Cliff?

Royal Military Canal, Coastguard Cottages to Wickham Cliff is a defensive earthwork constructed during the Napoleonic Wars, specifically built between 1804 and 1807 as part of Britain's coastal fortification programme against potential French invasion. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1002214.

Who is responsible for protecting Royal Military Canal, Coastguard Cottages to Wickham Cliff?

Royal Military Canal, Coastguard Cottages to Wickham Cliff 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 1002214.

What other scheduled monuments are near Royal Military Canal, Coastguard Cottages to Wickham Cliff?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Royal Military Canal, Cliff End to Coastguard Cottages (1.3 km), New Gate, Winchelsea (1.7 km), Town ditch N of New Gate, Winchelsea (1.8 km).

Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in the UK — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Royal Military Canal, Coastguard Cottages to Wickham Cliff