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Shorncliffe Barracks, just outside Folkestone housed thousands of soldiers on their way to the front. Troops were partially prepared for what awaited them in a series of trenches dug into the earth for training exercises. The site’s military connections go as far back as the Napoleonic Wars, when a large fortress was built and three different regiments were housed here. In 1802, Sir John Moore a noted innovator of infantry training techniques was stationed at Shorncliffe and the barracks today bear his name. In World War One; that innovation continued with the construction of replica trenches for soldiers to use for training. The site is still used by the military but the trenches and the fort are overgrown and unused. Local campaigners want to ensure that the heritage of the site is preserved if it is turned into houses. Location: Shorncliffe Barracks, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3HF Photograph of Shorncliffe Barracks courtesy of Shorncliffe Trust Presented by Sara Smith