{"id":1377,"date":"2009-03-02T22:36:20","date_gmt":"2009-03-02T22:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"\/soundmirrors\/?page_id=1377"},"modified":"2019-06-17T18:10:33","modified_gmt":"2019-06-17T17:10:33","slug":"dover","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/soundmirrors\/locations\/dover\/","title":{"rendered":"Fan Bay sound mirrors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/doverpast\/2906673521\/player\/9ba16a6cc5\" height=\"334\" width=\"500\"  frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Two sound mirrors survive on the White Cliffs to the east of Dover in Kent. These are constructed a different way to the other surviving mirrors, being set into a hillside. <\/p>\n<h2>History<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/fanbayshelternt.wordpress.com\/2014\/10\/10\/press-release\/\">According to the National Trust<\/a>, the first mirror dates from approximately 1917. It is 15 feet high, cut into the chalk cliff and lines with concrete. Surviving records show it was in use during World War I to detect incoming aircraft in 1917-18. The sound mirror worked by concentrating sound waves into a central point, where they were picked up by a listening apparatus facing the curved surface. An operator who was specially trained to distinguish different sounds would be stationed at the front of the sound mirror, and use a stethoscope to listen for aircraft.<\/p>\n<p>The second mirror is thought to date from 1920-29. It was built in a similar way to the older mirror, but is larger at 20 feet high.<\/p>\n<p>The two mirrors were buried in spoil by the council in the 1970s as part of a campaign to clear up the local area. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationaltrust.org.uk\/white-cliffs-dover\">land was purchased by the National Trust<\/a> in 2012 after a public appeal raised \u00a31.2 million. <\/p>\n<h2>Rediscovery<\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" lang=\"en\">\n<p>Got to see some of the White Cliffs sound mirrors excavation in person today! <a href=\"http:\/\/t.co\/IoT67qky0w\">pic.twitter.com\/IoT67qky0w<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; National Trust SE (@southeastNT) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/southeastNT\/status\/520649104431804417\">October 10, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>On 3 May 2014 volunteers from the Dover Archaeological Group, the Canterbury Archaeological Trust and the National Trust dug several <a href=\"http:\/\/nicksdigs.wordpress.com\/2014\/05\/04\/fan-bay-deep-shelter-sound-mirrors-dover-3rd-may-2014\/\">trenches to locate the sound mirrors<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" data-header=\"true\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/christophergodwin\/20490904893\/\" title=\"Sound Mirror\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/5820\/20490904893_e5cf779ed9.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" alt=\"Sound Mirror\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>This project was part-funded by a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.uponthedowns.org.uk\/Grants\/Grants-Awarded\/Fan-Bay-Deep-Shelter-and-Sound-Mirrors.aspx\">\u00a315 000 Landscape Heritage Grant<\/a> from the Heritage Lottery-funded <a href=\"http:\/\/www.uponthedowns.org.uk\">Up on the Downs Landscape Partnership Scheme<\/a>, and was also supported by donations from the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.subbrit.org.uk\">Subterranea Britannica<\/a> archaeological society. <\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/pinktree\/15436161619\/in\/photolist-pw3n4z-csT5z9-csToG5-csSZuj-csSXf3-csTZkd-csTXj7-csTePh-pNBh6Q-csTX97-pNwXG6-csSVv9-csT4Ww-csTTML-csTZuh-csTeoy-csTXyj-csU1Aw-csT1qf-csTSqo-csT6A3-csT4sS-csTmLu-csTf3G-csTn39-csSWtA-csTM11-csTJaC-csTTgA-csTceY-pvyqQf-pxAFc4-csU3hG-J7skR6-csSZjJ-csTVpu-csTgF3-csTYbm-csTkNf-csT3nm-csTT17-75F6qU-iMCDJd-J7ss9g-pvyqwj-csT9Ff-csSYQy-csTMLb-csU3ud-csThad\" title=\"Fan Bay Sound Mirrors\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3944\/15436161619_1308193b81.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" alt=\"Fan Bay Sound Mirrors\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Happily, <a href=\"http:\/\/fanbayshelternt.wordpress.com\/2014\/05\/04\/soundmirrorsdiscovery\/\">the dig found<\/a> that &#8220;the Fan Hole sound mirror complex remains around 90% complete, preserved below dumped 1970s soil and rubble&#8221;, and &#8220;only fairly limited restoration work would be required to stabilise these structures and leave them open for permanent display&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BpDn9eiW4h0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Location<\/h2>\n<p>The sound mirrors are located at Fan Hole, east of Dover. The site is accessible via a waymarked walking route across the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationaltrust.org.uk\/white-cliffs-dover\">White Cliffs of Dover<\/a>. A car park is open daily, with a tea room, shop and toilets are available at the White Cliffs visitor centre.\n<\/p>\n<p>Details of how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationaltrust.org.uk\/the-white-cliffs-of-dover\/features\/visiting-fan-bay-deep-shelter\">visit the Fan Bay deep shelter<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<h2>News and updates<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"\/soundmirrors\/tag\/fan-bay\/\">News about the Fan Bay sound mirrors<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Links<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Ther <a href=\"http:\/\/fanbayshelternt.wordpress.com\">Fan Bay Deep Shelter website<\/a> has full details and photos.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationaltrust.org.uk\/white-cliffs-dover\/history\/article-1355858509973\/\">A brief history of sound mirrors<\/a> from the National Trust.\n<li>The <cite>White Cliffs Underground<\/cite> website has <a href=\"http:\/\/www.castlekas.freeserve.co.uk\/sound_mirrors.htm\" title=\"White Cliffs Underground\">photographs<\/a> of the two sound mirrors.\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationaltrust.org.uk\/the-white-cliffs-of-dover\/features\/visiting-fan-bay-deep-shelter\">Fan Bay deep shelter<\/a> visting details.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" lang=\"en\">\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/soundmirror?src=hash\">#soundmirror<\/a> emerging from the chalk at fan bay. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WCCPnews\">@WCCPnews<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UpontheDowns\">@UpontheDowns<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/whitecliffs?src=hash\">#whitecliffs<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/t.co\/13NPuVdWJy\">pic.twitter.com\/13NPuVdWJy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Paul Holt (@pholt3) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pholt3\/status\/515994336438538240\">September 27, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><!-- \nThe mirrors were at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.streetmap.co.uk\/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=635255&amp;Y=142815&amp;A=Y&amp;Z=3\" title=\"Map\">Fan Bay (TR352428)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n \n\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.streetmap.co.uk\/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=635255&amp;Y=142815&amp;A=Y&amp;Z=3\" title=\"Map\">Ordnance Survey map<\/a> shows a path layout like the one on this <a href=\"http:\/\/myweb.tiscali.co.uk\/doverunderground\/1\/Plans\/fanbayover.gif\">map of Fan Hole Battery in 1943<\/a> and this <a href=\"http:\/\/myweb.tiscali.co.uk\/doverunderground\/1\/Plans\/fanbayover2.gif\">overview map<\/a> on the <a href=\"http:\/\/myweb.tiscali.co.uk\/doverunderground\/\">Dover Underground<\/a> website. \n--><br \/>\n<!-- p>\nI went to have a look around the area on 24 May 2003, but I couldn't spot many obvious clues to the exact location of the mirrors. I <em>think<\/em> I could trace the route of the <a href=\"http:\/\/myweb.tiscali.co.uk\/doverunderground\/1\/Plans\/fanbayover.gif\" title=\"Map\">'ash path'<\/a> at Fan Bay, and there is a hollow in the hillside approximately where one of the mirrors <em>might<\/em> have been. I found a small concrete block in the grass, which looked like a small dragon's tooth (pimple) anti-tank block.  This could have been a stand for a microphone, but it seemed a bit smaller than at <a href=\"\/soundmirrors\/locations\/kilnsea\/\" title=\"Kilnsea sound mirror\">Kilnsea<\/a> and didn't have a post in the top.\nIf you do know where the mirrors are (or were), please <a href=\"\/soundmirrors\/contact\/\">let me know<\/a>.\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two sound mirrors survive on the White Cliffs to the east of Dover in Kent. These are constructed a different way to the other surviving mirrors, being set into a hillside. History According to the National Trust, the first mirror dates from approximately 1917. It is 15 feet high, cut into the chalk cliff and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":1340,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1377","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/soundmirrors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/soundmirrors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/soundmirrors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/soundmirrors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/soundmirrors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1377"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/soundmirrors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3258,"href":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/soundmirrors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1377\/revisions\/3258"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/soundmirrors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/soundmirrors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}