This Feature is one of 8 slipways and the adjacent support foundations labelled T2 & T3 on a (circa) 1994 survey. The concrete foundations are a key part of the method of launching caissons at Lepe. The foundations are the points at which the weight of the caisson is transferred from a continuous rail (the production line) to the launch slipway. On the 6 June 1944 thousands of troops with their vehicles and supplies left Britain via locations such as Lepe Beach in the New Forest for the beaches of Normandy. This was D Day, the start of the great campaign to liberate Europe and to bring the Second World War to its end.

During a Citizan survey day at Lepe on the 5th August 2016 the team did a number of measurements and surveys of the slipways. A drawing was also completed of the foundations T2 and T3 (referenced from a 1994 survey).

The interpretetation of some of the features found (and shown on the drawing in photo1) are detailed below.-

The concrete foundations shown in the diagram are a key part of the method of launching caissons at Lepe. The foundations shown (1 of 8) are the points at which the weight of the caisson is transferred from a continuous rail (the production line) to the launch slipway.

In order for the caisson to clear these concrete foundations on its way down the slipway they are built lower than the adjacent foundations by about half a metre. A removable steel bridge to support a rail could have been constructed across the tops of all the foundations such that the rail could be continuous (and at the same level as the production line). The steel bridge and rail would have been temporarily removed once the weight of the caisson was transferred to the slipway.

The steel bridge would have been bolted to the concrete foundations at points B and the ends or feet would rest against the plates at points A (such that the concrete is not gouged). The steel plates that were mounted on top of the concrete block at points C were rests for the steel bridge to help spread the weight of the caisson evenly across the foundation. There are very few fixings (bolts) near the weight bearing steel plate which indicates that it was relatively easy to deconstruct the bridge prior to launch of the caisson.

The metal tray shown at E may have been positioned to give some protection to a winch cable. (The tray is not load bearing since it is was produced in a short length – approx 2 metres).

The compete launch slipway is likely to have been 8 massive steel box girders similar to those shown in the photo at stokes bay (under construction). The ‘straps’ attached to the girder were likely to be flexible anchor points which were possibly attached to the steel brackets (e.g. point D) mounted on concrete foundations.

There is additional photogrammetry of this slipway and foundations at.-

https://skfb.ly/XO8P https://sketchfab.com/models/a449b175523a40a688df245241edacd2

Period

Modern (1901 and later)

Period comments

On the 6 June 1944 thousands of troops with their vehicles and supplies left Britain via locations such as Lepe Beach in the New Forest for the beaches of Normandy. This was D Day, the start of the great campaign to liberate Europe and to bring the Second World War to its end.

The earliest date of the feature, as a year, if known

1944

The latest date of the feature, as a year, if known

Monument Type - Broad

Military installation

Monument Type - Narrow

Monument Description

Evidence Type - Broad

Structure

Evidence Type - Narrow

Extant

Evidence Description

Man-made roofless edifice or construction which is intact or substantially intact, with significant survival of original features, even if no longer serving original intended function.

Object Type - Broad

Object Type - Narrow

Object Description

Other records:

NRHE Number

Unknown

NT HBSMR Number

Unknown

HER Event Number

Unknown

External Link

None

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