Fort Amherst facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Amherst |
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| Medway, Kent, England | |
The fort's outer defensive walls, as seen from Fort Pitt
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 Fort Amherst
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| Coordinates | 51°23′13″N 0°31′34″E / 51.387°N 0.526°E |
| Type | Napoleonic Fort |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Fort Amherst Heritage Trust |
| Condition | Intact |
| Site history | |
| Built | 18th century |
Fort Amherst is a historic fort in Medway, South East England. It was built in 1756 to protect the important Chatham Dockyard and the River Medway from a possible French invasion. Today, Fort Amherst is a popular place to visit all year round. You can even take tours through its amazing tunnel system!
Discovering Fort Amherst's Past
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Why Forts Were Built Here
The main reason for building all the forts around Medway was to protect the Chatham Dockyard. This dockyard was a very important place where ships were built and repaired for the British Navy. In 1667, the Dutch fleet attacked the dockyard, causing a lot of damage. This event showed how much the area needed strong defences.
Plans for protecting the dockyard started in 1708. Land was bought in 1708 and 1709 for this purpose. In 1715, the Duke of Marlborough surveyed the land. The first defence plan was a ring of fortifications around the dockyard.
Building the First Defences
In 1755, several strong points called 'bastions' were built. These included the 'Prince of Wales' Bastion and the 'Kings Bastion'. Along with ditches, these became known as the Chatham lines. They were built during the Seven Years' War (1756–63).
Captain John Peter Desmaretze designed these fortifications in 1755. They featured a 9-metre (30-foot) wide earthwork ditch. There was also a 3-metre (10-foot) high wall, called a parapet, for protection.
In 1757, a building for soldiers, called a barracks, was added. This was for the troops who would defend the lines.
Strengthening the Forts
During the American Revolutionary War (1778–83), the defences were made even stronger. The most important parts of the design were two 'redoubts'. A redoubt is a small, enclosed fort. 'Amherst' was at the south end, and 'Townsend' was at the north end. The Amherst Redoubt later became Fort Amherst. Each redoubt had many powerful cannons.
Ancient Roman Discoveries
In 1779, during construction, workers found something amazing. They discovered the foundations of an old Roman building! They also found Roman bricks, tiles, and coins. Some coins were from the Empress Faustina and Emperor Claudius. These finds were recorded by Lieutenant James Douglas. He later wrote a book about his archaeological discoveries.
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Fort Amherst During the Napoleonic Wars
During the Napoleonic Wars (1803–15), the Chatham defences were made much bigger and stronger. More cannon batteries were added, like the Cornwallis Battery. The ditches were also lined with brick to make them more solid. These plans were made by General Hugh Debbrieg.
From 1802 to 1811, prisoners helped with the work. They extended the tunnels and created huge underground storage areas. They also built new places for gunpowder (magazines), barracks, and guardrooms. More than 50 cannons were put in place. The last building work finished around 1820. A complex network of tunnels was dug into the chalk cliffs. These tunnels were used to move ammunition around the fort.
Another fort, 'Townsend Redoubt', was built at the same time as Fort Amherst. Both forts were inside the "Cumberland Lines." These were brick-lined earthwork walls from 1756. They surrounded the whole east side of the dockyard. Today, buildings cover most of these lines.
Other forts, like Fort Clarence in Rochester and Fort Pitt, were built between 1805 and 1815. They protected the southern approaches to the area.
Even though these strong defences were never tested in a real battle, they would have been very difficult for any invading army to overcome.
Later Uses of the Fort
By 1820, new artillery meant cannons could shoot much further. This made the old defences less useful. The entire fortified area then became a training ground. Practice sieges were so popular that thousands of visitors came to Chatham to watch. Important guests would sit in special viewing areas.
The famous writer Charles Dickens even described one of these sieges in his book Pickwick Papers.
English Heritage has called Fort Amherst the most complete Napoleonic fortification in Britain. This means it is very important to the history of the country. In 1959, it was officially protected as an ancient monument.
The fort was still used during the Second World War. It served as a command post for air raid warnings. Later, efforts were made to restore it so more areas could be open to the public.
Fort Amherst Today
Restoration and Opening to the Public
In the late 1970s, a group of people who loved history got permission to clean up the site. They wanted to restore the fort. In 1980, the Fort Amherst and Lines Trust bought the fort. Soon after, it started holding open days for the public.
Today, the Fort Amherst Heritage Trust manages the fort. This is a charity that keeps the fort open to visitors every day. They offer daily tours at 11 am and 2 pm. The trust also holds special events. These include ghost tours, which happen on the first Friday evening of each month. There are also overnight paranormal investigations in the tunnels. Special Halloween tours take guests through dark rooms and passages.
On Sundays and during school holidays, some of the cannons are fired. This gives visitors a taste of what the fort was like in action!
Fort Amherst on Screen
Fort Amherst has been a filming location for several movies and TV shows. It was used in the 1986 film The Mission. It also appeared in the 2011 movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. In 2015, the BBC TV show Partners in Crime also filmed scenes here.
In the summer of 2008, the fort was open for free on Sundays. This was to promote the Great Lines Heritage Park. It also supported the plan to make Chatham Dockyard and its defences a World Heritage Site.
In 2012, the Royal Engineers celebrated their 200th anniversary. A team of Royal Engineers designed and built the Bicentenary Bridge at the fort. This bridge leads to a part of the fort called Spur Battery. It also connects to the Inner Lines, which are Napoleonic defensive ditches. These areas are usually only open during special events and guided tours.
About 20,000 people visited the fort in 2012. In 2014, soldiers from the Royal School of Military Engineering refurbished the main gates.
Fort Amherst Halloween Horrors
Europe's Oldest Scare Attraction
Fort Amherst Halloween Horrors began in 1983. It started as a way to raise money for the fort. Today, it is the oldest scare attraction in Europe! It is still run entirely by volunteer actors. This event is one of Medway's most talked-about and popular yearly events.
In 2015, it won a Scare Award for its amazing achievements.
It is the only scare attraction in the UK where actors can safely touch, grab, and pull visitors. This unique feature makes it different from other scare attractions. People come from all over the country to enjoy Halloween at Fort Amherst.
A Ghastly Ghost Story
The only year the event didn't run was in 2020. This was due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Instead, some of the actors made a short film called "A Ghastly Ghost Story." It's about some teens who break into the abandoned Fort. Some of them get cursed and don't make it out!
After the Pandemic
The main event returned in 2021. Michael Bolton, the owner of Scare Tour, said it was "back with a bang." He also described it as "intense."
Fun Music Videos
Since 2016, the Halloween volunteers have worked with Mill Hill Media. They create a series of fun music videos. These videos are released every Halloween, except for 2017 and 2020.
Music Videos by Fort Amherst Halloween Horrors:
- 2016: Don't Stop Me Now (by Queen)
- 2018: This Is Halloween (by Nightmare Before Christmas)
- 2019: Thriller (by Michael Jackson)
- 2021: Sweet Dreams (cover by Emily Browning)
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