Shornemead Fort
"Shornemead Fort was built in the 1860s as part of a scheme to remodel the forward defences of the Thames to protect the river route to London. It crossed the fire of its guns with those of Coalhouse Fort on the north bank and with Cliffe Fort further downstream on the south bank.
A small semi-circular 4-gun battery first occupied the site in 1796. This was obliterated by the construction of an early form of polygonal fort from 1847. This in turn was replaced by the present fort. The earlier works may have left archaeological traces.
As built in the 1860s the fort consisted of an arc of granite-faced gun casemates with iron shields and an open battery at the up-river end. It was fronted by a deep ditch and caponiers. A defensible barracks built of Kentish Rag closed the rear. The fort was armed with 11 x 11-in. and 3 x 9-in. rifled muzzle-loaders. Magazines were in the basement below the casemates and the open battery, with which they connected via ammunition lifts.
Contingency plans were made for the establishment of a minefield in the river off the fort in wartime. By 1895, 2 x 6-pr. quick-firing guns were emplaced in positions outside the fort to the east to defend this. A pair of electric searchlights was also installed in separate emplacements outside the fort to the west where there was a substantial submarine mining depot.
The rifled muzzle-loading guns were withdrawn before the First World War. Between the wars, the fort was used as accommodation for troops using the nearby Milton rifle range. There was a permanent staff and staff accommodation, lecture halls, additional barracks and a swimming pool were built outside the fort to its east.
In 1940, the emplacements for the QF guns were overbuilt by 2 emplacements with overhead protection for a pair of 5.5-in. breech-loading guns. This was one of many ‘emergency’ batteries built on the coasts and near the entrances to rivers in anticipation of German invasion. Pillboxes were let into the river wall near the front of the battery.
A concrete hard in front of the fort was built in 1944 as one of many embarkation points for Operation Overlord.
The barracks and rear of the fort were blown up for training by Army demolition squads in the 1960s. The outlying 5.5-in. battery, range staff accommodation and the surface vestiges of the mining establishment were cleared in the 1970s.
Read MoreA small semi-circular 4-gun battery first occupied the site in 1796. This was obliterated by the construction of an early form of polygonal fort from 1847. This in turn was replaced by the present fort. The earlier works may have left archaeological traces.
As built in the 1860s the fort consisted of an arc of granite-faced gun casemates with iron shields and an open battery at the up-river end. It was fronted by a deep ditch and caponiers. A defensible barracks built of Kentish Rag closed the rear. The fort was armed with 11 x 11-in. and 3 x 9-in. rifled muzzle-loaders. Magazines were in the basement below the casemates and the open battery, with which they connected via ammunition lifts.
Contingency plans were made for the establishment of a minefield in the river off the fort in wartime. By 1895, 2 x 6-pr. quick-firing guns were emplaced in positions outside the fort to the east to defend this. A pair of electric searchlights was also installed in separate emplacements outside the fort to the west where there was a substantial submarine mining depot.
The rifled muzzle-loading guns were withdrawn before the First World War. Between the wars, the fort was used as accommodation for troops using the nearby Milton rifle range. There was a permanent staff and staff accommodation, lecture halls, additional barracks and a swimming pool were built outside the fort to its east.
In 1940, the emplacements for the QF guns were overbuilt by 2 emplacements with overhead protection for a pair of 5.5-in. breech-loading guns. This was one of many ‘emergency’ batteries built on the coasts and near the entrances to rivers in anticipation of German invasion. Pillboxes were let into the river wall near the front of the battery.
A concrete hard in front of the fort was built in 1944 as one of many embarkation points for Operation Overlord.
The barracks and rear of the fort were blown up for training by Army demolition squads in the 1960s. The outlying 5.5-in. battery, range staff accommodation and the surface vestiges of the mining establishment were cleared in the 1970s.
