History (wikipedia)
Cliffe Fort is a Royal Commission fort built in the 1860s on the edge of the Cliffe marshes on the Hoo Peninsula in north Kent, England to protect against invasion via the river Thames. It is opposite Coalhouse Fort in Essex: they are 2 km apart. Construction was difficult due to the marshy ground and the malaria-carrying mosquitos. It was armed with 12.5-inch 38-ton and 11-inch 25-ton rifled muzzle-loading guns. Protection of these guns was provided by granite-faced casemates with shields for added defence. The shields, casemates and the rails on which the gun carriages stood are all still visible today.
A Brennan Torpedo station was added in 1890. This was a wire-guided torpedo used for harbour defence: the launching rails are still visible at low water. It was replaced around 1910 with quick firing guns. The fort was armed in World War I and was used as an anti-aircraft battery in World War II. It is now inside a gravel extraction site and is inaccessible and very overgrown. It can however be viewed from the riverside path.
Visit
i know this place has been done 1000 times, so appologies, i seem to be about 5 years behind everyone else, Finally got round round to getting out there, went along with a mate and after a long walk, ditch hopping and bush trampling we were there, entry was a bit of a climb and scramble but got to the rooftop followed by a climb down into the fort, it was very queit with the only sounds were coming from birds and the plant machinery next door, spent about 2 hours inside wandering into every room corridor that we could, lower floor was flooded so didnt risk it, hope you like the pictures!
from the roof:
twist on the angle!
flooded:
falling apart:
falling apart:
overgrown:
not much left:
didnt risk trying these rooms:
Thanks for looking, comment, feedback is more than appreciated!
Cliffe Fort is a Royal Commission fort built in the 1860s on the edge of the Cliffe marshes on the Hoo Peninsula in north Kent, England to protect against invasion via the river Thames. It is opposite Coalhouse Fort in Essex: they are 2 km apart. Construction was difficult due to the marshy ground and the malaria-carrying mosquitos. It was armed with 12.5-inch 38-ton and 11-inch 25-ton rifled muzzle-loading guns. Protection of these guns was provided by granite-faced casemates with shields for added defence. The shields, casemates and the rails on which the gun carriages stood are all still visible today.
A Brennan Torpedo station was added in 1890. This was a wire-guided torpedo used for harbour defence: the launching rails are still visible at low water. It was replaced around 1910 with quick firing guns. The fort was armed in World War I and was used as an anti-aircraft battery in World War II. It is now inside a gravel extraction site and is inaccessible and very overgrown. It can however be viewed from the riverside path.
Visit
i know this place has been done 1000 times, so appologies, i seem to be about 5 years behind everyone else, Finally got round round to getting out there, went along with a mate and after a long walk, ditch hopping and bush trampling we were there, entry was a bit of a climb and scramble but got to the rooftop followed by a climb down into the fort, it was very queit with the only sounds were coming from birds and the plant machinery next door, spent about 2 hours inside wandering into every room corridor that we could, lower floor was flooded so didnt risk it, hope you like the pictures!
from the roof:
twist on the angle!
flooded:
falling apart:
falling apart:
overgrown:
not much left:
didnt risk trying these rooms:
Thanks for looking, comment, feedback is more than appreciated!
