Sound mirrors

Early warning acoustic mirrors on the British coast, and related history, music and art. For railway things, follow @andrew_grantham

[Sound mirrors @concreteear]

Hello...

[Palumba @Palumbus_Pics]

These are the Denge sound mirrors, they were built in 1930 as an experiment to detect the sound of enemy aircraft approaching but were never made operational as radar was then invented. They are in the middle of Lade Pit where I went to see what birds were there.

[Soulmade1 @dasoulmade1]

Echoes of Radar's Origins, stone Sentinels from the past

Denge is an ex-Royal Air Force base along the Kent coastline in England

Here there are three massive concrete formations. Two of them resemble spherical shapes cut in half and raised on bases, while the third is a solid square with a half-sphere hollowed out at its centre

These imposing, brutalist structures possess a unique blend of an ancient and oddly futuristic aesthetic, appearing somewhat like a blend of ancient ruins and cosmic satellite dishes.

They are in fact remnants of WWI and WWII-era surveillance devices—massive concrete precursors to radar

They are called sound mirrors or acoustic mirrors, over a dozen of these structures still exist along the English coast and they were used experimentally as early-warning devices by military air defence forces to detect incoming enemy aircraft by listening for the sound of their engines, They did work, but the development of faster aircraft made them less useful, as an incoming aircraft would be within sight by the time it was located

this program had given Britain the methodology to use interconnected stations to pinpoint the position of an enemy in the sky, a methodology passed for use in radar.

[Claudia Bryan @ClaudiaBryan01]

Dover, Kent, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Sound mirrors can be seen along the English coast from Dover to West Hythe.

These were our ears during WWII.

[Andy Peal ⚓️🤘 @friedalive]

Have a lovely evening everyone
Denge sound mirrors greatstone kent

[Simon Lord 🇺🇦 @SimonMDLord]

Before WW2 and the invention of radar the UK built sound mirrors to detect hostile aircraft. Fabulous update of that concept.
https://t.co/cpgOt5KQB2

[windy/Dennis 🇺🇦 I support Ukraine @Windyweaver]

On a road trip with a mate. Lydd on sea PLUTO pumping station then and now ( pic from an old dear we met) the houses were all painted pink to make them look like ice cream parlours. Sound mirrors, and Menin gate just waiting for the 8 o clock trot.

[Andy Peal ⚓️🤘 @friedalive]

Good morning sound mirrors greatstone kent 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[bat020 @bat020]

a few more pics, including Dusty impulsively deciding to go say hi to Derek.

[Eagle-Eyes Fella @EagleEyesFella]

@Bricktop_NAFO The modern, electronic version of the sound mirror, such as this one - built in 1928, near Dungeness (and its much larger 1930 brother in the background). Ingenious.

[Richard Lusmore @MisterSlush]

@VFTAE I'm guessing as a result. I've not seen a definite date of installation but 1916 and 1916/17 are both quoted in references to it.

[North Ferriby Fanzine @VFTAE]

@MisterSlush I wonder if the Kilnsea sound mirror operational then, or installed as a result.

[Darren Hayman @darrenhayman]

A second view of the Abbot’s Cliff Sound Mirror, near Folkestone, Kent. Postcard Painting. watercolour.

This is available from https://t.co/OQFZuRQtn8

[Andy Peal ⚓️🤘 @friedalive]

Have a lovely evening everyone
Denge sound mirrors greatstone kent 🇬🇧

[𝓒𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓮📚📷 🤘✒️📩🇹🇷🇪🇺🐦 @Bananabelly]

It's this way to the Sound Mirrors in Dungeness #fingerpostfriday

[Andy Peal ⚓️🤘 @friedalive]

@WendyJWright They have special weekend opening there on a island

[Wendy Wright @WendyJWright]

@friedalive Do you know what they are for? I’ve never seen anything like it.

[Andy Peal ⚓️🤘 @friedalive]

Good morning denge sound mirrors greatstone kent 🇬🇧

[Sound mirrors @concreteear]

BBC News - Nuclear bunker topples from crumbling cliff
https://t.co/lwCyjX8EbS

[Sound mirrors @concreteear]

BBC News - https://t.co/XyeM6uncqt
Nuclear bunker nears collapse due to coastal erosion - BBC News