Telegraph Farm

Telegraph Farm is a pair of cottages, originally housing a shutter telegraph, which later became a farmhouse. Built in the early 19th century, these cottages were used by operators of a telegraph station that was part of a system established during the Napoleonic Wars. This system was designed to send messages between Deal and the Admiralty in London to alert them of any potential invasion attempts by Napoleon. The shutter telegraph, likely located on the roof, no longer exists.

The building is constructed from shuttered chalk and lime, covered with a lime render, and features hipped slate roofs with brick chimneystacks. It is two storeys high with two windows. The plan is T-shaped, with an attached outbuilding at the rear. The windows are probably casements but were boarded over at the time of the survey, and the first-floor windows are lower in height. There is a gabled porch on the right side, likely added later in the 19th century. The rear elevation includes a plain door and a lean-to extension. After 1815, the telegraph system was discontinued, and the building was converted into a farmhouse. The construction technique used is thought to be unique in the Dover District, and the site holds historical significance as part of a network of Napoleonic telegraph stations.