Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

in 1875 a prison was built near Borstal for convicts employed in constructing the seven proposed forts. The design of the forts underwent change. Caponiers in the ditch were abandoned in favour of counterscarp galleries in the angles of the ditch. The four southern forts of Borstal, Bridgewoods, Horsted and Luton were begun first. There was a hiatus in construction during the 1880s and Borstal was completed in the mid 1890s. During the First World War the fort was used as barrack accommodation and stores preparatory to movement to the Western Front. Just prior to the Second World War, four 4.5in AA guns were installed in concrete emplacements and a large hutted camp was constructed to the rear of the fort to house gun crews and ATS personnel. A light railway was constructed alongside the emplacements to supply ammunition to the guns. In 1961 the fort passed to the Home Office and the Borstal Institution used it as a store and pigsty. It has since passed into private hands.

Monument Types

• FORT (Post Medieval - 1883 AD? to 1899 AD (between))
• ANTI AIRCRAFT BATTERY (Modern - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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(centred TQ 733 664) Fort Borstal [NAT] (1)
TQ 733 665 Fort Borstal, Rochester. (2)
Constructed after 1860 and probably finished by the middle 1890's, one of five forts built in a half-ring two miles outside Chatham (see TQ 76 NE 398). Situated at the crest of the Nashenden valley, Borstal was particularly important as it commanded a large area of the Medway river valley. An irregular pentagon in plan, it is a largely earthen battery, but with concrete used extensively inside, with little flank defence. These forts were out of date, due to improved gunnery, almost as soon as they were built. The last major works of traditional fortifications in the country. Moat in good condition except on the entrance side where it is filled in. Now used for farming. Scheduled. (3-5)

Underground features surveyed by KURG in 2001 (6)

Additional bibliography. Noted as being in private ownership in 1994. Its structures are suffering from vandalism, deterioration from the weather and a general lack of maintenance [7].

"In 1875 a prison was built near Borstal for convicts employed in constructing the seven proposed forts. The design of the forts underwent change. Caponiers in the ditch were abandoned in favour of counterscarp galleries in the angles of the ditch. The four southern forts of Borstal, Bridgewoods, Horsted and Luton were begun first. There was a hiatus in construction during the 1880s and Borstal was completed in the mid 1890s. During WW1 the fort was used as barrack accommodation and stores preparatory to movement to the Western Front. Just prior to WW2, four 4.5in AA guns were installed in concrete emplacements and a large hutted camp was constructed to the rear of the fort to house gun crews and ATS personnel. A light railway was constructed alongside the emplacements to supply ammunition to the guns. In 1961 the fort passed to the Home Office and the Borstal Institution used it as a store and pigsty. It has since passed into private hands." (8)

<1> OS 1:10000 1975 (OS Card Reference). SKE48160.

<2> DOE(IAM) AMs Eng 2 1978 112 (OS Card Reference). SKE41414.

<3> DOE(IAM) Rec Form 1.7.71 plan (OS Card Reference). SKE41425.

<4> Post Md Arch 10 1976 110-115 (OS Card Reference). SKE48531.

<5> Handbook of Kent's Defences 1540-1945 1977 (D Bennett) 10-12 (OS Card Reference). SKE43669.

<6> Kent Underground Research Group, 2001, Caves and Tunnels in South East England Part 15 (Unpublished document). SKE8205.

<7> Victor Smith and Ron Crowdy, 1994, From Tudor Rose to Mushroom Cloud. The Gazetter of Defence Heritage Sites in the Kentish Part of the Thames Gateway. An Overview (Unpublished document). SKE12458.

<8> Victor Smith and Andrew Saunders, 2001, Kent's Defence Heritage (Unpublished document). SKE6956.

<9> Kent Defence Research Group, c. 1993, Kent Defence Research Group 'Fort Logs' (Unpublished document). SKE52251.

Sources and further reading

Related records