Dargate (Blean) ROC Post

[John]

Situated on the Crest of Clay Hill, on a footpath running south from Lamberhurst Farm (pop in to see Jane at the cheese making unit if you are
passing), Dargate ROC Post commands a spectacular view across the water to Sheppey. Opened in September 1966, this three man underground post was part of the network of Royal Observer Corps posts established during the Cold War to monitor blast and fallout in the event of a Soviet nuclear strike on the United Kingdom. A 15' access shaft descends to the floor of the protected bunker - two rooms are accessed in this way. The first (and smallest) is the tiny alcove containing the chemical toilet. The main room measures 15' x 7'6" and at one time contained bunk beds, shelving and cupboards although this has all been removed. Lighting was provided with the aid of a 12v battery that was near the door to the main room, and communication was via a GPO 'teletalk' unit that operated over conventional telephone wire. Monitoring was carried out via a BPI (Blast Pressure Indicator) on the surface, this unit worked by letting blast overpressure from an atomic bomb operate a set of bellows which in turn registered on a dial in the monitoring room. A Fixed Survey Meter (FSM) measured radiation, while a Ground Zero Indicator, basically a type of camera, registered the location of the blast. Unfortunately this was outside the bunker and this meant some unfortunate bod had to emerge from the relative safety of the post to retrieve the photographic plate...

Visible on the surface is the entrance hatch on a raised concrete plinth - nearby are the two ventilation features. The largest is the main vent next to the hatch with two wooden louvres, its companion (which feeds into the other end of the underground monitoring room) is 15' away from it. At the base of the entrance shaft (which is accessed by an iron rung ladder) is a small sump to collect water that might have seeped in, either via the hatch or the vents - a hand crank enabled the occupants to pump this back up to the surface where it would probably just creep back down again to make life awkward. Due to the function of these ROC posts they generally sit on very high, exposed ground which means that in summer they can be very enjoyable spots to frequent, the downside being that in winter or at other times when there is rough weather they are extremely bleak, cold and damp!

Dargate (Blean) ROC Post remained active for approximately ten years, closing in 1976 when the Herne Bay post was reopened and took over the duties of this site. Clay Hill was once part of the ancient Forest of Blean, which survives today as fragmented areas such as Blean Woods and Ellenden Wood. Until the 1950's the site was still heavily wooded, but the 1953 floods at Whitstable meant that these old oaks were felled and tonnes of clay were extracted from the site to help in the construction of new sea defences. This was used as a rather tenuous excuse in the 1990's by the then landowner (Cleanaway Ltd) to propose using the site for landfill - citing the fact that the area had been used for 'mineral extraction' and planning to pile over seven million cubic feet of rubbish against and on the hill. Another ROC post would thus have been lost forever.... fortunately local campaigners eventually managed to have this madness stopped. Today the area is owned by The Woodland Trust and the trees are being replanted to try to restore the area to something approaching its natural beauty. The ROC Post is kept (insecurely) locked.

[John]

A newspaper cutting from three years ago..

[John]

A few shots of the ROC post at Dargate / Blean..