Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Part of the Chatham Ring Fortress, dating from 1884. After serving as a barracks during World War I, it became the headquarters of the Rochester batallion of the Home Guard, the Observer Corps and the Rochester Civil Defence Corps in World War II. Also served as a control centre in case of nuclear attack in the 1950s. Declared redundant and sold in 1968. Since then the fort and its defences have been demolished and levelled, its ditches infilled.

Monument Types

• FORT (Post Medieval to Modern - 1884 AD (between) to 1994 AD (between))
• ANTI AIRCRAFT BATTERY (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 7380 6522] Fort Bridgewoods [NAT] (1)
Fort Bridgewoods is located along the Rochester/Maidstone Road behind Rochester Airport. The fort forms part of what was a very important `ring' fortress built to defend the Naval Dockyard at Chatham during the last century. This system was built between 1870 and 1900 and was the last permanent land fortress to be constructed in the United Kingdom. Until quite recently, Fort Bridgewoods was in extremely good condition and an excellent example of 19th century architecture. Since the 1960s, when the fort was sold off, a steady program of demolition has been carried over approximately half the area of the fort. (2)
The basic shape of the fort is hexagonal, six sided, with a dry ditch, the angles of the ditch covered by counter scarp gallereies. The fort had two rows of casements, one in the centre for accomodation and another on the left side for magazines. There was originally a drawbridge over the moat instead of the present fixed bridge. During WWI the fort served as barrack accomodation and in 1938 the fort was fitted out as the Civil Defence headquarters for the area. In 1942 a large concrete command centre was constructed on the site of the accomodation casements. At this time the fort also contained Home Guard, Royal Observer Corps personnel and a light anti-aircraft battery. In 1958 the fort was abandoned as being of no further military use. (3)
Addiitonal reference. (4)
The site of the fort has been completely levelled and its ditch filled. The external earthen wing, just to the nw of the fort has also been destroyed. The only visibly remaining structure is a pair of concrete abutments which were built on the counterscarp side of the entrance way, across the rear ditch of the fort. Some archaeology remains in the form of buried concrete revetments of the infilled ditch and probably the counterscarp firing galleries and parts of their approach tunnels. The lower parts of the casemates in the fort might still remain, filled and levelled with bulldozed rubble. (5)
Additional information on the Chatham Ring fortress (see TQ 76 NE 398). (6 and 7).
Additional bibliography (Geotechnical/geochemical reports 8 and 9).
During a watching brief in 2003, a small portion of the northern arm of the defensive ditch of the fort was observed (at approximate grid ref 573800,165255). The sides and base of the ditch were not seen, but part of an in situ concrete structure (perhaps of 1940s or 1950s date) was observed c.3.20m below modern ground level.
The report also mentions that the Fort was used in the 1950s as a control centre for civil defence in case of nuclear attack. The fort was declared redundant in 1968 and sold to Leggat Joinery (10).

<01> OS 1:10000 1978 (OS Card Reference). SKE48163.

<02> Kent Arch Rev 56 1979 137-38 (KR Gulvin and VT Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE45796.

<03> The Medway Forts: A Short Guide 1976 12-13 (K R Gulvin) (OS Card Reference). SKE50425.

<04> A Handbook of Kent's Defences 1977 12 (D Bennett) (OS Card Reference). SKE32811.

<05> Victor Smith, 1994, Fort Bridgewoods Delce Tower, Rodmersham, A.A. Site (Unpublished document). SWX7001.

<06> Victor Smith and Ron Crowdy, Thames Gateway Assesment: Gazetteer of Defence Sites (Index). SKE6445.

<07> 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.

<08> Warren Pickerell Associates Ltd, 1998, Trial Hole Report Fort Bridgewood Rochester (Unpublished document). SKE12459.

<09> Warren Pickrell Associates Ltd, 2003, 411 Grapes Direct Rochester Consolidated Ground Contamination Report (Unpublished document). SKE12460.

<10> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2003, An Archaeological Watching Brief at Fort Bridgewoods, Rochester (Unpublished document). SKE12461.

<11> Kent Defence Research Group, c. 1993, Kent Defence Research Group 'Fort Logs' (Unpublished document). SKE52251.

<12> Smith VTC, 1994, Various Defence Sites; Fort Bridge Woods. (Unpublished document). SKE54628.

Sources and further reading

Related records