here - Sandgate Parish Council

The ShorncliffeCampCharacter AreaShorncliffe Garrison is located on level landat the top of the Sandgate Escarpmentand, as stated previously in this DesignStatement, is an important element of theparish’s military and built heritage, withthe major part of the Camp lying withinSandgate Parish. Situated on a plateau, thisCharacter Area enjoys far reaching views tothe north towards the Downs, south acrossSandgate to the sea and west into SeabrookValley and Seabrook. Within the Camp thelandscape is characterised by large openspaces, military and non-military buildingswith tree lined avenues. Shorncliffe Garrisonis currently subject to a major Ministry ofDefence rationalisation project which aims toreduce and improve the Garrison estate whilereleasing 70 hectares for redevelopment.The area south of North Road is in Sandgateand includes sites to be released bythe MOD as well as the Sir John MooreBarracks which will remain for militaryuse. Currently dominated by militarydevelopment, it is characterised by largescale, often simple form, buildings inregimented groups, located in extensiveareas of open land. The landscape isdistinctive with mature tree planting, eitherin parkland or linear distribution, being animportant element of its character and onewhich should be protected and enhancedin any new development. A number of thebuildings are of some architectural qualityincluding the former library at SomersetBarracks and the listed former garrisonchurch now the Tower Theatre.Also in this Character Area is the nationallysignificant Shorncliffe Redoubt, a ScheduledAncient Monument which has played a keyrole in the military history of this country.The Redoubt was constructed at the endof the 18 th Century as an integral part ofa programme of military developments toprotect the South Coast against invasionby Napoleon Bonaparte. It is however likelythat due to its prominent position and easeof defence that Shorncliffe was used fordefence of the coast from very early times,probably back to the Roman occupationand maybe back beyond and had beena site of vigilance and defence in everyconflict that threatened our shores. Builtto a design by Colonel William Twiss, theramparts and ditches overlook the EnglishChannel and inland to the Seabrook Valley.Sadly, the surviving portion of the Redoubt isbeing badly eroded. Apart from its physicalimportance, it is also recognised as thebirth place of the modern army. Under SirJohn Moore, soldiers, including the newlyformed Rifle Corps, were trained usingnew weapons and tactics to form the LightDivision, whose methods were to defeatNapoleon at Waterloo and are still used byforces today.36