Drone pictures show how historic barracks described as "the birthplace of the modern British Army" have been torn down to make way for a new housing estate.

Work has been ongoing for several years at Taylor Wimpey's Shorncliffe Heights development in Cheriton, Folkestone.

So far 547 new homes have been built - and there are 653 more to go.

It has resulted in a dramatic transformation of Shorncliffe Garrison, which was first established in 1794.

The army camp played a vital role in British military history.

It is where soldiers were trained by Sir John Moore to fight under the Duke of Wellington against Napoleon.

Troops on the way to the Western Front during the First World War also stayed there.

But since 2015, when planning permission for 1,200 homes was approved by Folkestone and Hythe District Council, the barracks have been steadily demolished, with new-builds arising in their place.

The first properties were constructed at St Martin's Plain, at the top of Horn Street.

Next came the new-builds at The Stadium off Church Road, where Sunday League and youth football matches have been held for decades.

Pitches remain there today - with much-improved changing facilities replacing a large corrugated iron shed.

However, the car park has remained closed off since December 2019 - when travellers set up camp there and refused to leave, leading to a stand-off with police.

Meanwhile, the former officers' mess in Pond Hill Road has now been turned into flats, with a new apartment block next door.

These homes appear to be fully occupied, as do the Valley View properties in the adjacent Cheriton Court Road.

Next, along North Road, Somerset Barracks were demolished and replaced with new houses and flats, with people already moving in.

Much of Burgoyne Barracks, along West Road at the top of Hospital Hill, has also been flattened and some of the new Burgoyne Heights properties have been built.

The demolition of Risborough Barracks is currently underway.

It seems Napier Barracks - which since 2021 has been used to accommodate asylum seekers - will be the last part to be flattened.

The Home Office has permission to occupy the site until September 2026. But the government has said it will vacate the site on or before March 25, 2025, "to enable Taylor Wimpey to proceed with their development".

KentOnline revealed last week how plans to build a new school on the playing fields on the corner of Royal Military Avenue and North Road have been delayed.

When plans for the development were first submitted it had been expected a primary with year groups of around 60 pupils would have been needed.

But Kent County Council (KCC) education chiefs say there are more than enough surplus places at other local schools to meet demand.

They now expect any new primary will not be required until the second half of the decade.

While so much has changed at the barracks in recent years, campaigners are fighting to maintain a part of its history.

War Horse author Sir Michael Morpurgo is among those calling for a military stable block at the site to be saved.

It is currently earmarked for demolition and is not a listed building.

The Shorncliffe Trust, which is behind the campaign, calls the camp the "birthplace of the modern British Army".