Folkestone, Kent: Preparing for the Front
Shorncliffe Barracks, just outside Folkestone housed thousands of soldiers on their way to the front. Troops were partially prepared for what awaited them in a series of trenches dug into the earth for training exercises.
The site鈥檚 military connections go as far back as the Napoleonic Wars, when a large fortress was built and three different regiments were housed here. In 1802, Sir John Moore a noted innovator of infantry training techniques was stationed at Shorncliffe and the barracks today bear his name.
In World War One; that innovation continued with the construction of replica trenches for soldiers to use for training. The site is still used by the military but the trenches and the fort are overgrown and unused. Local campaigners want to ensure that the heritage of the site is preserved if it is turned into houses.
Location: Shorncliffe Barracks, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3HF
Photograph of Shorncliffe Barracks courtesy of Shorncliffe Trust
Presented by Sara Smith
Duration:
This clip is from
Featured in...
Recruitment & Training—World War One At 成人快手
How the army prepared the nation for conflict
成人快手 Radio Kent—World War One At 成人快手
Places in Kent that tell a story of World War One
More clips from World War One At 成人快手
-
The loss of HMY Iolaire
Duration: 18:52
-
Scotland, Slamannan and the Argylls
Duration: 07:55
-
Scotland Museum of Edinburgh mourning dress
Duration: 06:17
-
Scotland Montrose 'GI Brides'
Duration: 06:41