Fort Burgoyne facts for kids
Fort Burgoyne, also known as Castle Hill Fort, is an old military fort near Dover in southeast England. It was built in the 1860s to protect the important port of Dover and Dover Castle. It's one of many forts built around that time to defend Britain. The fort is named after a famous general from the 1800s, John Fox Burgoyne.
After the First World War, Fort Burgoyne became a storage area for the army. For a long time, the central part of the fort was owned by the Ministry of Defence. This area is now being turned into new homes. Fort Burgoyne also includes a large piece of land, about 104 acres (42 hectares). Today, The Land Trust owns the fort. They are working to fix it up so people can visit and explore it.
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Exploring Fort Burgoyne
Fort Burgoyne was built using a special design called a "polygonal system." This means it had many sides and strong walls. It also had separate smaller forts, called redoubts, on its eastern and western sides. These parts helped to guard the high ground northeast of Dover, making sure no enemies could get close to the port or the castle.
Fort Burgoyne's Purpose
The fort was part of a group of defenses known as the Palmerston forts. These forts were built all over Britain during the time of Prime Minister Lord Palmerston. They were designed to protect the country from possible attacks, especially from the sea. Fort Burgoyne's job was to keep watch over the land around Dover.
Waking The Giant Event
On February 29, 2020, Fort Burgoyne opened its doors to the public for one special day. This event was called "Waking the Giant." It was organized by a group called Albion Inc. The event was part of a bigger project called "Pioneering Places East Kent," which aimed to figure out new ways to use the fort in the future.
Activities at the Event
Many fun and interesting things happened at "Waking the Giant":
- The Museum Of British Folklore shared stories and exhibits.
- Artists Robert George Sanders and Katherine Woodward showed off weaving and knitting.
- You could watch a blacksmith at work with Michael Hart.
- Ceramic Art Dover and Keith Brymer Jones displayed beautiful pottery.
- A film about the fort, called Fortopia, by Matt Rowe was shown.
- Visitors could try a virtual reality game called Escape, created by Jake Price.
- Students from Central St. Martins shared their ideas for the fort's future.
- A "Makers Market" was set up by Future Foundry, selling unique crafts.
- Delicious food and drinks were available from The White Cliffs and Real Deal Roasters.
The "Waking the Giant" event was a big success. Organizers estimated that over 2,000 people came to explore Fort Burgoyne that day.
