High on Kent’s famous white cliffs, overlooking the English Channel, stands a memorial to the men of the RAF who fought off the Luftwaffe to prevent a Nazi invasion in 1940. In doing so they changed the course of the war by preserving this island as the embarkation point for the D-day landings four years later.
The National Memorial to the Few, the men immortalised by wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill in his famous speech, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”, is at the heart of the Memorial, which combines a fact-filled visitor experience with a chance to reflect on the bravery and sacrifice they displayed.
While the clifftop Memorial, a carving of an unknown airman gazing out across the Channel, offers a chance for quiet reflection, the story of the Battle is told in the modern, interactive visitor centre to the rear of this peaceful open space.
The Scramble Experience, an audio-visual, hands-on introduction to the Battle, is suitable for all ages and ideal for groups. While youngsters will enjoy the interactive features, adults and those with a deeper interest in the conflict can access a huge amount of information, as well as audio and video clips of the Few themselves, via a bank of modern touch screens.
The numerous hands-on activities include a chance to ‘shoot down’ enemy aircraft from a mock-up Hurricane cockpit, while at the heart of the Scramble Experience is a specially commissioned film so moving that it reduced one of the Few to tears when he first saw it.
A first-floor café with unrivalled views across the Channel towards the coast of France, modern, accessible toilets and a well-stocked shop (including signed memorabilia) add to the Memorial’s appeal as an ideal group destination. The whole of the Memorial is wheelchair accessible and there is a lift to the café. Staff and volunteers are friendly and welcoming and there is free admission to The Scramble Experience for tour leaders/coach drivers (conditions apply).
Parking is free for pre-booked coaches, there are group rates for entry to The Scramble Experience and guided tours can be arranged at an additional charge. The rest of the Memorial, including all the outside attractions, is free to visit.
The outside attractions include not just the National Memorial but the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall, which features the names of the fewer than 3,000 RAF aircrew who saw off Hitler’s planned invasion in the summer and early autumn of 1940.
A replica Hurricane and Spitfire and busts of Sir Keith Park and Lord Dowding add to the attractions, while a recently added stainless steel sculpture of a crashed Stuka dive-bomber highlights the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust’s aim to show a broader view of the Battle.
On some summer days, visitors are lucky enough to witness a Spitfire flying over the Memorial, adding a perfect moment to a great group day out.
