New Tavern Fort
Encyclopedia
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the 1780s against the threat of invasion from France. It was one of the Palmerston Forts
Palmerston Forts, Chatham
The Palmerston Forts around Chatham, Kent include:*Fort Amherst, technically a Napoleonic fort but later extended.*Fort Borstal, in the village that gave its name to the youth offender's institution The Borstal.*Fort Bridgewood*Cliffe Fort...
, also known as Royal Commission
Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom
In 1859 Lord Palmerston instigated the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom because of serious concerns that France might attempt to invade the UK...
forts. The fort was extensively rebuilt by General Gordon
Charles George Gordon
Major-General Charles George Gordon, CB , known as "Chinese" Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British army officer and administrator....
about 1870. It was regunned in 1904. The large underground magazine complex is open April to September weekends and most public holidays.