Sandwich, Kent: The Secret Port

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Supplying the troops fighting on the front during World War One required round the clock effort. There was a constant need for tanks, guns, rolling stock, horses and fuel. So in 1917, with space at Dover and other ports limited, a huge secret harbour was built at Richborough in order to get the equipment across the Channel. Richborough Port saw the use of cutting edge technology -- electric cranes helped load roll on- roll off ferries. By 1918, the site covered 2,000 acres, it was handling 20,000 tons each week and 19,000 people were living and working on site in a huge camp. But almost as quickly as it was set up, Richborough Port disappeared. Today, only a few clues about its role in the Great War remain. Location: Port Richborough, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9QL Image: Richborough Port, courtesy of Dr Frank Andrews Presented by Nafisa Sayani