Fort Luton facts for kids

Fort Luton is an old fort built a long time ago, between 1876 and 1892. It's located south of Chatham in South East England. This fort is one of five large forts built during the Victorian era to protect Chatham from attacks by land. It's the smallest of these forts and was built close to the village of Luton.

The inside of Fort Luton in 1994.

Building Fort Luton

Why Fort Luton Was Built

The idea for Fort Luton came from a special group called the Royal Commission on the Defences of the United Kingdom in 1859. However, the government decided not to build it at first. They wanted to save money and use it for forts that protected the coast instead.

Later, in 1869, a report said that Chatham needed better protection on land. So, in 1872, the government finally bought the land for the fort. Building officially started in 1876.

How Fort Luton Was Constructed

The fort was built directly on the ground, without any special tunnels underneath. The work was quite slow because there wasn't always enough money. Also, the builders used a special small railway with an 18 in (457 mm) gauge to bring materials from a nearby river.

Around 1882, work stopped for a while so they could rethink the plans. When it started again in 1886, they decided to make the fort a bit smaller than first planned. This meant some parts, like a large storage area for ammunition, were changed or removed.

The final part of the building happened between 1886 and 1892. During this time, workers dug the large ditch around the fort. The dirt from the ditch was used to cover the buildings and create the walls where guns would be placed. Even though there were places for guns, the fort never officially received any weapons. The last thing built was a special rolling drawbridge in 1892, which is quite rare.

Fort Luton's Training Exercises

What Were Siege Trials?

For about thirteen years, Fort Luton was used for summer training camps. Every other year, it hosted "Chatham Siege Trials." These were like practice battles where soldiers would pretend to attack and defend the fort. The biggest trial happened in 1907, with many soldiers taking part. It was like a rehearsal for a real war.

During these trials, they made three holes in the outer wall of the ditch and set off small explosions at the bottom of the moat. The "defenders" also dug a large tunnel outwards from the moat to counter the attackers.

Damage and Repairs

After the 1907 trials, the holes in the wall were filled with stones in 1908. However, the large tunnel dug by the defenders was left open. Because of all this activity, in 1914, one of the main walls shifted a little. It had to be supported with a strong steel beam. You can still see the damage and repairs in the ditch today.

Inside Fort Luton

Fort Layout and Rooms

Fort Luton has a D-shaped outer wall with special spots for movable guns. The front part of the wall was designed for soldiers to defend against attacks.

Underneath this wall are four rooms for storing ammunition. These rooms had lifts to bring the ammunition up to the gun positions. At the back of the fort, there are eight rooms that were used as barracks for soldiers, and also for storing supplies. These rooms are made of concrete and covered with earth. Tunnels at each end of these rooms lead to the ammunition stores. These rooms also helped protect the main walls from attacks from behind.

The main way to enter the fort was over the special rolling bridge, located in the middle of the barrack rooms. The ditch around the fort was meant to be dry.

The Fort's Ditch

The ditch around Fort Luton is lined with concrete on both sides. It's about 25 to 30 feet deep and its width changes, being wider at the back and narrower on the sides (about 15 feet wide). Unlike many other forts, this ditch didn't have any special tunnels or galleries for defense; it was meant to be a simple barrier.

You can still see signs of the 1907 siege trials in the ditch. There are three old tunnels from the trials, though they are now mostly covered. Near the steel beam that crosses the moat, you can see five large cracks. These are also from the 1907 trials, caused by an explosion meant to damage the fort's wall.

After Fort Luton was sold, the ditch became a place where people illegally dumped trash. A large pile of debris has built up under the drawbridge and the steel beam. This neglect has also caused a lot of plants to grow in the ditch.

Fort Luton's Later Years

World War Use and Storage

From 1914 to 1919, during World War I, Fort Luton was used as a place for soldiers to stay before they went to Europe. After that, from 1920 to 1933, it was used as a storage facility.

In 1938, the fort started to be changed into a Gun Operations Room (GOR). This was a control center for anti-aircraft guns. It opened in August 1939, just before World War II began, and was used until December 1945.

After the Wars

From 1945 to 1961, the fort was used for summer camps by groups like the Army Cadet Force. In 1961 or 1962, it was sold to Kent County Council. They wanted the land to build a nearby school, and the fort itself was left empty.

In 1990, a private person bought the fort and turned it into a museum and visitor attraction with a tea shop. However, it closed in 2001. Since then, it has been under new private ownership and is being restored. Fort Luton is now a protected historical site, known as a Scheduled monument.

Since 2012, Fort Luton has had new owners. After three years, they decided to make it a community interest company, which means it's run for the benefit of the local community.

Images for kids

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  The inside of Fort Luton in 1994.