Traces of War - Part One

Today's post-lockdown ride was out on the Traces of War route I had planned.  I wasn't going to do all of it as it was gone 4pm or so before I got going.  

I had amended the route to include the Redoubt. It's called the Dymchurch Redoubt., built in the middle years of the Napoleonic War when there was the idea that Nappy would invade us.  I didn't stop as it is only half a mile from my house.  Actually, the Redoubt is part of the Hythe Ranges and is about 100 yards in Hythe not neighbouring Dymchurch.

The second stop should have been the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery grave site in the churchyard in Dymchurch but TomTom forgot to tell me about the waypoint and the LS2 bluetooth was inaudible.

I continued through Dymchurch itself.  A small seaside resort with caravan parks and amusement arcades.  All closed as they haven't been allowed to open yet. Oddly, as a sunny day, the place was packed and social distancing looked rare. Expect another peak in Covid-19 infections and deaths soon....

My first stop was the Phoenix Caisson in Littlestone.  It is part of the Mulberry Harbour that was towed across the English Channel to supply the invading Allied armies after they has stormed the beaches on D-Day in 1944.  This bit broke free of its tow and ended up about 100 yards off the coats in Hythe Bay. The tide goes out way beyond it and I guess that's why it is still there 76 years later.

I couldn't stop as there was nowhere to park. I did see it over the sea wall and will go back.

I never found the US monument down the coast in Greatstone. TomTom was being reluctant to speak out loud and I couldn't see it. Another re-visit planned for that one.

In the end I went along the coast towards Dungeness and looped back to the A259 after Lydd.  I was lucky enough to get to the church at New Romney.

St Clement's (photo below) is a really attractive marsh church. It also has a CWGC grave site.

St Clement's Old Romney

I took a photo of the grave site and will send it to Traces of War in case they want to update hteir page.

I also stood in reflection for a minute to recognise this young man's sacrifice.  Only 19 years old.

From here I set TomTom for Home and missed off the other five or six Traces of War waypoints.

In all I was out about an hour.  I set record on so that I could see the track of my journey,  Not quite the loop I had planned but it was good to get back in the swing of things.

TomTom track of the ride. 34.1 miles

I may go out tomorrow to see if I can get the places I missed out and get some photos of them.



References:

https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/phoenix-caisson-in-kent-designated-part-of-the-mulberry-floating-harbour-used-in-the-d-day-landings/