A firm of architects will help restore an important Second World War site.

RH Partnership, which is based in Brighton and has offices in Cambridge, will manage the restoration of listening devices in Greatstone on the Kent coast.

The devices are near gravel pits and a lake and were crumbling and eroded before English Heritage came to the rescue with a £500,000 grant.

The massive concrete structures are a significant part of military history and were the forerunners of radar.

Also called listening mirrors, two of the structures, shaped like bowls, are more than 20 and 30ft high, respectively.

The largest monument is a 200ft acoustic wall. By focusing sound to a central point, technicians with stethoscopes and microscopes were able to detect approaching enemy aircraft over the channel.

It gave early warnings before the Battle of Britain.

Peter Kendall, English Heritage's inspector of ancient monuments for Kent, said: "Standing like huge modern sculptures in otherwise featureless gravel, these structures are beautiful and fascinating as well as historically important for the critical role they were designed to have defending England."

Architect Graham Black said: "The practice has 20 years' experience specialising in conservation work. We've been long-term clients of English Heritage and have a framework agreement in place which helped us win the contract.

"It's a very interesting project because it spans the conservation of concrete structures from the Thirties and the provision of access for tourists, including disabled people.

"It has six conservation designations and is a site of massive historical importance.

"It's interesting applying a conservation philosophy on these hard, concrete structures, which are so different from the soft, limestone-based medieval buildings that conservation is often focused on."

The mirrors are situated in a ecological area which is home to a large bird population.

An endangered species of medicinal leeches also live in the lake.

English Nature and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) worked closely before any work started.

Mr Black has designed a swing bridge for public access over the lake and between two canals, which is due to be fitted in October.

He is also designing a disabled access area on a shingle marsh area near the structures.

Closer to home, RH Partnership was one of the final two teams selected for the Black Rock site in Kemp Town, Brighton.

It has proposed a health spa and hotel in keeping with Brighton and Hove's history of sea water cures.

It is also one of four companies in the running for the redevelopment of the Preston Barracks site.

Wednesday August 20, 2003