Fort Amherst

The primary purpose of all the Medway fortifications was the defence of the Naval Dockyard. This was largely the result of the Raid on the Medway 12 June to 14 June 1667 when the Nederlandse Staatsevloot (Dutch State Fleet) inflicted heavy damages on Chatham Dockyard. Defences were planned for Chatham Dockyard from 1708 and land was then acquired by two Acts of Parliament. These were the Fortifications Act 1708 and the Fortifications Act 1709. The land was surveyed in April 1715 by Duke of Marlborough. The first plan of defences was an enceinte (ring of fortifications), from Gun Wharf, Chatham, to north of the village of Brompton. From January 1755 to August 1755, the 'Prince of Wales'…

During August 1977 a group of enthusiasts were given permission by the Ministry of Defence to start tidying up the site, with the intention of restoring Fort Amherst. During April 1980 Fort Amherst was purchased from the Ministry of Defence by the Fort Amherst and Lines Trust and public open days began. Halloween Tours have also taken place, where guests make their way through the dark rooms and passages. On Sundays, during the summer 2008 season, Fort Amherst was open to the public, without charge, to promote the Great Lines Heritage Park and the proposed World Heritage Site application for Chatham Dockyard and its Naval Defences. In 2012 the 200th anniversary of the establishment, under…