Coalhouse Fort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coalhouse Fort |
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| East Tilbury, Essex, England | |
Exterior of Coalhouse Fort
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 Coalhouse Fort
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| Coordinates | 51°27′54″N 00°25′58″E / 51.46500°N 0.43278°E |
| Type | Fortification |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Thurrock Council |
| Controlled by | Coalhouse Fort Project |
| Condition | Intact |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1861–74 |
| Built by | United Kingdom |
| In use | 1874–1949 |
| Materials | Concrete, granite, cast iron, brick, Kentish ragstone |
Coalhouse Fort is an old military fort in Essex, England. It was built in the 1860s to protect the lower River Thames from attacks by ships. The fort stands at Coalhouse Point, near East Tilbury, a place that was easy for invaders to reach.
This fort was the last in a long line of defenses built there since the 1400s. It replaced an earlier, smaller fort on the same spot. Building it was tough because the ground was marshy, and it took a long time to finish. Even though it was built with the best guns and defenses of its time, like strong casemates (gun rooms) protected by granite and iron, new weapons developed so fast that the fort was almost outdated when it was done.
Over 70 years, the fort's guns changed many times as its role in defending the river shifted. At first, it was a main defense, working with Shornemead Fort and Cliffe Fort across the river in Kent. Later, as new forts were built further downriver, Coalhouse Fort's main guns were removed. It was then used for smaller, faster guns to fight quick ships and planes. Its last military use was as a training place after the Second World War.
After 1949, the fort was no longer used by the military. It was even used to store shoes for a while! Later, the local council bought it, and the land around it became a public park. But the fort itself started to fall apart. Since 1985, a group of volunteers called the Coalhouse Fort Project worked to restore it. They got help from the Heritage Lottery Fund and even the film studio Warner Bros., who used the fort for scenes in the 2005 movie Batman Begins. The volunteer group stopped their work in 2020.
Contents
The Fort's History and Role
How the Fort Changed Over Time
When Coalhouse Fort was finished in 1874, the guns it was supposed to have were already old-fashioned. So, it got more powerful guns instead. The casemates were fitted with huge 12.5-inch and 11-inch RML guns. These guns could fire shells weighing up to 375 kilograms (827 pounds) over 5,000 meters (5,500 yards)! Firing them was a big deal; they broke windows half a mile away and created huge clouds of smoke.
The fort's roof had a special post for the Battery Commander. From here, commands were sent to the gun crews using voice pipes. Later, special devices called depression range finders were added to help aim the guns. A skilled crew could fire a gun every two minutes. The guns were set up to fire one after another as an enemy ship passed. This, combined with fire from Shornemead and Cliffe Forts, meant constant attack from three sides.
By the late 1800s, new artillery made the fort's casemate design outdated. Its job of defending against large warships was taken over by the new East Tilbury Battery, built in 1891. This new battery had more powerful guns hidden in concealed spots.
A new threat also appeared: fast torpedo boats. The fort's big guns were useless against them. So, in 1893, a new battery was built nearby with smaller, quick-firing guns to fight these fast boats.
Coalhouse Fort in the 20th Century
By the early 1900s, the fort's casemates were too weak against modern artillery. So, parts of the fort's front were covered with a sloping earth bank, blocking the casemates. Most of the old RML guns were replaced with newer, more powerful guns on the fort's roof. These included 6-inch guns that could fire 7 miles (11 km) and 12-pounder guns for faster ships. Even so, two of the old 12.5-inch RML guns stayed until 1912, just in case they needed to spray torpedo boats with grapeshot.
During the First World War, soldiers from the Royal Garrison Artillery manned the guns. Electric searchlights were operated by the London Electrical Engineers. A minefield was placed in the river between Coalhouse and Shornemead forts. Friendly ships could pass, but if an enemy ship tried, observers on shore could detonate the mines. Coalhouse Fort also checked incoming ships. If a ship was suspicious or didn't stop, the fort was allowed to fire warning shots.
The fort's guns were reduced during the war as other forts took over some duties. Two 6-inch guns were moved, and the quick-firing guns on the roof were removed. An anti-aircraft battery was set up nearby to defend against Zeppelins and enemy bombers.
The Fort During and After World War II
After the First World War, plans to re-arm Coalhouse Fort were dropped due to budget cuts. The fort was put on "care and maintenance" status, meaning it was just looked after. Other forts further downriver took on the main defense role.
During the Second World War, Coalhouse Fort became an "emergency" battery. In 1941, its 6-inch guns were replaced with two 5.5-inch guns taken from the famous battleship HMS Hood. These guns could fire 12,500 yards (11,430 meters) and were placed on the fort's roof. A steel shelter and camouflage netting protected them. An observation post on the roof helped with aiming, and searchlights lit up the river. These defenses were meant to stop enemy cruisers and torpedo boats, and prevent any landings in the Thames.
The fort's defenses were also improved with anti-aircraft guns, including a Bofors 40 mm gun installed in 1943. Barbed wire and trenches surrounded the fort. Two spigot mortars were placed at the back. A separate concrete tower was built nearby to control the electrically detonated mines in the river. A radar tower was also built to watch the minefield. An anti-aircraft battery at Bowaters Farm, north-west of the fort, often defended London's eastern approaches and was bombed several times.
By 1944, the threat of invasion was lower. The fort was handed over to the Home Guard. It also had a group of Wrens (women in the Royal Navy) who operated a special system called a degaussing range. This system checked if ships' steel hulls were demagnetized enough to avoid German magnetic mines. If not, the ships were sent back for more degaussing. One Wren remembered being "surrounded by a wonderful array of young men... and we were the only girls in sight."
After the war, the fort was used by the Admiralty to train Sea Cadets and other youth groups. It was finally taken out of military service in 1949.
The Fort's Design and Structure
Inside the Casemates
Coalhouse Fort is very well-preserved. It's one of the best examples of an armored casemate fort from the mid-Victorian era. It has twelve casemates (gun rooms) in a half-circle facing the river. There's also an open battery section. The casemates have huge granite slabs and iron gun ports to protect the gunners.
Many original features of the casemates are still there, even though the guns are gone. The metal rails for the guns to move on are still in place. Each casemate had two parts: a "war accommodation" area where gun crews lived during alerts, and the gun emplacement itself. Iron shields protected the casemates, and thick rope screens hung inside to protect gun crews from splinters and smoke. A loading bar helped lift heavy shells and cartridges from the magazines below.
The guns in the open battery were lighter and fired in the open air. A covered path led from each gun to an ammunition lift shaft. Here, shells and cartridges were lifted up using special gear that still exists.
As artillery technology improved, the fort had to change. In the 1880s, huge concrete walls were built between casemates. This stopped an explosion in one casemate from affecting others. Concrete pillars were also added inside the casemates to support the new heavy guns placed on the roof. The ammunition lifts were extended to reach these new roof guns.
Magazines, Barracks, and the Roof
The magazines, where ammunition was stored, were deep under the casemates. They had separate rooms for shells and cartridges. Great care was taken to prevent accidents. Workers wore special clothes and shoes to avoid sparks, and cartridge store floors were covered with wooden strips. Lighting came from oil lamps behind glass windows, separate from the main magazine area. Lifting gear helped workers winch ammunition up to the casemates, and they could talk to the gun crews using voice tubes.
A strong brick building called the barracks closed off the back of the fort. It had loopholes and windows with steel shutters for small arms fire. The first floor had a veranda. The barracks could house six officers and 180 soldiers during wartime, though fewer lived there in peacetime. It also had storerooms and a hospital. While much of the barracks is in poor condition, some kitchen ranges and painted service crests from the Second World War still remain.
The middle of the fort has an irregularly shaped parade ground. A sloping ramp leads up to the casemates. A small brick building, once a laboratory or shell-filling facility, stands nearby. You enter the fort through a single gate on its west side, protected by a caponier (a small defensive structure). The front of the fort was surrounded by a dry ditch, with four caponiers for defense. A very wide wet ditch blocked access from the river.
The fort's roof was changed a lot in the early 1900s to hold new guns and other structures. These included places for 5.5-inch and 6-inch guns, searchlight positions, shelters, an observation post, and a Royal Navy monitoring station.
Outside the Fort
The fort was connected to a jetty called Coalhouse Wharf on the riverside. A railway track ran from inside the fort to the jetty. This track was used to bring in guns and supplies. The heaviest guns were moved using two special barges named Gog and Magog. You can still see the remains of the jetty and parts of the track inside the fort's entrance.
Current Status of Coalhouse Fort
After the military stopped using it, Coalhouse Fort was rented out. It was used by Bata Shoes as a storage facility for their nearby factory. For a while, it even provided emergency housing for soldiers returning from war. In 1959, the parade ground was used to store coal during a miners' strike.
Thurrock Council bought the fort in 1962 and still owns it. The council turned the area around the fort into a riverside park. However, the fort building itself suffered from neglect and vandalism.
In 1962, Coalhouse Fort and the nearby defenses were named a scheduled monument. This means they are important historical sites and are protected.
From 1985, a volunteer group called the Coalhouse Fort Project leased the fort. They worked to restore it and held open days. They displayed military equipment inside and created small museums in the casemates. The Coalhouse Fort Project closed in 2020.
The project received awards for its work. The fort was even featured on the BBC TV show Restoration and in the 2005 film Batman Begins. In the movie, it was used as a prison in Bhutan for the opening scenes. The director, Christopher Nolan, saw the fort on TV and decided to film there.
Because parts of the fort were in poor condition, it was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2008. English Heritage provided money for repairs, along with Thurrock Council and the fee from Warner Bros. for Batman Begins. These repairs to the gatehouse were finished in 2011. Other grants have helped build a new block outside the fort entrance for a cafe, toilets, and an information center.
A four-mile (6.4 km) riverside walk called the Two Forts Way connects Coalhouse Fort with the older Tilbury Fort. It's a challenging route for walkers and experienced cyclists. In 2017, surveys were completed, and repairs to make the fort watertight were planned.
Images for kids
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Detached wing battery (1893)
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Radar tower
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Extended Defence Officer's Post (Second World War)
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Location of Coalhouse Fort in the Lower Thames
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Map of the defenses around East Tilbury in 1958
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Map of Cliffe, Coalhouse and Shornemead Forts
