Transmitter site (excluding Tower 2), former Swingate Chain Home Radar Station

Swingate Radar Station occupies a prominent clifftop location approximately 2 kilometres north-east of Dover. The extensive site, covering roughly 21 hectares, comprises a transmitter site, receiver site, and various ancillary structures. This listing covers the transmitter site only; the receiver site and buried reserves are separately listed, as is Tower 2 within the transmitter site.

The Transmitter Site

The transmitter site lies in the south-west portion of the overall complex and is enclosed within a rectangular fence. Following standard Chain Home design, the transmitter towers were arranged in a line and constructed of steel lattice framework on concrete footings. The Swingate towers were self-supporting structures—technically towers rather than masts, unlike those on west coast Chain Home sites which required steel guy rope support. Two northern towers remain standing (the southern being Tower 2, separately listed), whilst the concrete bases of the two southern towers survive. Historic photographs show all four towers in position. The transmitter building stands between Tower 2 and the former location of Tower 3. Concrete footings from demolished buildings and equipment bases remain visible, particularly in the southern section between and east of the former positions of Towers 3 and 4.

The Transmitter Building

This protected 'A' type transmitter block is a rectangular structure measuring approximately 24 metres long by 8 metres wide, oriented west to east. External rendering covers most surfaces, but where brickwork is exposed it shows English bond construction. Some internal walls use stretcher bond brickwork, indicating later modifications to the layout, presumably dating from the 1950s. A parapet conceals the flat roof. Following standard practice for protected radar buildings of this period, the parapet would originally have contained shingle to a depth of approximately 1.7 metres as anti-blast protection. This material is presumed to survive beneath a concrete capping. Cast iron rainwater goods connect to drainage holes through the parapet.

The building is protected on all sides by an earth traverse. Low yellow brick walls in English bond provide external revetment, whilst high concrete walls line the interior, creating a covered way—a protected walkway encircling the building. Access to the compound is from the north and east, where concrete blast wing-walls protect the entrances. Heavy external steel doors secure the building, with the main entrance on the north elevation and additional doorways in the south and east elevations. Within the northern and southern traverses, visible from the covered way, are two cooling fan outlet ducts with central concrete baffles. These formed part of the original air conditioning system, allowing air circulation around the building (necessary given the heat generated by internal machinery) whilst preventing debris entry in the event of external explosions. Air conditioning extractor hoods are visible externally but are post-war additions, differing in scale and form from the smaller original examples fitted to the receiver building.

The standardised plans for 'A' type transmitter blocks indicate that Swingate would originally have contained a large transmitting room, a sub-station and workshop, ventilation plant room, gas lock at the entrance, a latrine, and a private branch exchange. The building's current internal arrangement comprises two large western rooms (presumably the former transmitter room, now subdivided). The westernmost room contains ceiling-hung air conditioning ducts which, according to information from a former BBC employee and comparison with wartime ducting photographs, date from the 1950s rather than the original construction. The second room houses a covered sub-floor cable pit which would have contained cables connecting the building to the transmitter towers. This room contains intake fan control panels manufactured by Allen West & Co Ltd of Brighton, England, probably dating from the 1950s. The building's centre contains an entrance lobby accessed from the south door, off which lie three small rooms: a kitchen (the former private branch exchange), the former ventilation plant room, and a water closet. The eastern portion (the former sub-station and workshop) has been modified through the insertion of stretcher bond partition walls. It features quarry tile floors and houses, in one room, a generator manufactured by Ruston and Hornsby Ltd of Lincoln, England. A parts list for this generator kept on site is dated February 1957, suggesting 1950s origin.

Internal doors are oak construction, as are the architraves, and some feature peep-hole windows and metal handles. These doors were designed to compress rubber door seals, preventing poison gas ingress during attack—part of Passive Air Defence measures. Although the building dates from the 1930s, its internal arrangements and fittings are now predominantly 1950s or later. The building remains in commercial communications use and consequently houses modern electronic and communications equipment.

Tower 1 and Hardened Building (the USAF Tower)

This steel lattice tower differs in form and construction from Tower 2 and does not conform to 1930s or Second World War Chain Home tower designs (of which three types existed nationally). It reuses the 1930s concrete bases. The tower is believed to have been constructed in the late 1950s following the approximately 1955 demolition of the original Group III tower, though confirmation has proved impossible. The tower was most likely rebuilt simultaneously with the hardened compound described below, all part of early Cold War modifications and 1950s site usage. A modern pyramidal base mat has been added to the tower.

The tower stands within a square compound with high reinforced concrete walls. A hardened rectangular flat-roofed building of reinforced concrete is attached to the compound's south side. Window-guards and hoods protect windows, and doors are heavy steel construction. This building was visible through the exterior security fence surrounding Tower 1 but was unavailable for internal inspection. However, information and photographs provided by the Ministry of Defence indicate two internal rooms housing electrical switchgear, one containing a shower cubicle. The smaller room formerly accommodated a stand-by generator, though this has been removed along with all original plant throughout. The building appears to be USAF-era construction (recently demolished offices and garages immediately east of the compound were painted in USAF cream and brown colours) and is integral to and contemporary with the compound wall.

Tower Bases

The footings of Tower 3 and Tower 4 survive in the southern part of the transmitter site. Each comprises four reinforced sloping concrete feet, each approximately 3 square metres and 2 metres tall.

Ancillary Remains

Building foundations and troposcatter fixings are located in the southern half of the transmitter site, particularly along the eastern boundary. South-east of the transmitter building are the concrete footings of two broadly rectangular north-south oriented buildings. The impressions of internal partition walls remain visible, allowing the layout to be understood. The northern structure is marked on historic plans as the 'terminal building'—probably the Gee-H building of 1950s and 1960s date, providing a radar/navigation system for Vulcan and Canberra bombers. To its north-east are the footings of its stand-by set-house and fuel catch pit. The southern building is the 'tropo' or troposcatter building for Ace High. Foundation remains of the former troposcatter array also survive: two groups of six small rectangular pads with metal fixings which supported two large billboard reflectors. These structures remained extant as recently as the mid to late 1980s but have since been demolished.

All modern plant and machinery, fixtures, fittings, communications equipment (including radio equipment cabins and electricity meter cabinets), masts, antennae (including associated brackets, supports and feeders), and the compound fences and gates are not of special interest.