Chain Home Station Ch22 |
| Hob Uid: 1412472 | |
Location :
Essex
Rochford
Canewdon
|
| Grid Ref : TQ9052794190 |
| Summary : The site of a Royal Air Force Chain Home radar station at Canewdon. It was built between 1936 and 1938 to provide early warning of enemy aircraft approaching the Thames Estuary. The facilities at Canewdon were important in providing early warning during the Battle of Britain. The stations commonly comprised transmission and receiver blocks, four 240ft timber receiver aerial towers, four 350ft steel transmitter aerial towers that stood on concrete pads, and other buildings such as dispersed accommodation huts, guard huts and standby set houses. From 1940 defensive measures were installed at radar stations, including Light Anti-Aircraft gun emplacements, pill boxes, road blocks and air raid shelters. The Canewdon station was split into two halves, the receiver site north of Lambourne Hall Road and the transmitter site south of Gardeners Lane. Aerial photography from 1970 shows that the transmission block survives in fair condition, with four sets of aerial bases visible. The married wardens quarters or guard house survives, as do some ancillary buildings. The remote aerials and transmitters at TQ 908 947 have since been removed. The only remains of the receiver site are two surviving pill boxes. |
More information : RADAR STATION. Letter with list of sites. RDF. Recorder- A. Hill. (1)
A Chain Home radar station at located at Canewdon (TQ 905 946), known as CH22. Chain Home stations commonly comprised transmission and receiver blocks, four 240ft timber receiver aerial towers, four 350ft steel transmitter aerial towers that stood on concrete pads, and other buildings such as dispersed accommodation huts, guard huts and standby set houses. From 1940 defensive measures were installed at radar stations, including Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) gun emplacements, pill boxes, road blocks and air raid shelters. LAA emplacements were located at identified Vulnerable Points (VP). At Canewdon these were VP 127 (River) at TQ 908 957; VP 127 (Pond) at TQ 902 938); VP 127 (Post Office) at TQ 902 943 and VP 127 (New Hall) at TQ 908 945. (2)
A Chain Home station at Canewdon. Aerial photography from 1970 shows that the transmission block survives in fair condition, with four sets of aerial bases visible. The married wardens quarters or guard house survives, as do some ancillary buildings. The remote aerials and transmitters at TQ 908 947 have since been removed. The only remains of the receiver section of the site are two surviving pill boxes. (3)
The Canewdon station was split into two halves, the receiver site north of Lambourne Hall Road and the transmitter site south of Gardeners Lane. (4)
Canewdon was a chain home station that lay within the key area of 11 Group RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. It and provided long range early warning for the Thames Estuary and the north-eastern approaches to London during the battle. (5) |