New Tavern Fort
Keeping pace with technology, built in the 1780s, to defend the River Thames from French invasion, New Tavern Fort remained on active duty for almost 150 years. During that time it was rebuilt and rearmed to keep pace with developments in weaponary and warfare.
The fort was designed to work with Tilbury Fort, across the river. Together, they could deliver a barrage of cross-fire, preventing French warships from reaching London.
At New Tavern Fort, sixteen heavy guns (24 and 32 pounders) wer arranged on embankments (batteries) buil at an angle to the river. Their tactic was one of surprise, aiming to hit enemy ships before their crews had noticed the forts. Their firepower was deadly, including red hot shot to set the wooden ships ablaze.
The French invasion never came, but the fort was on active duty throughout the Napoleonic Wars.
It was modernised in the 1840s with heavier guns mounted on traversing platforms, which allowed them to track a moving target. An underground ammunitions sotre (magazine) was added, capable of storing 250 barrels of gunpowder.
Between 1868 and 1872, the ramparts were completely rebuilt to take ten bottle-shaped, rifled, muzzle-loading guns. Capable of firing shot in a straight, predictable flight path, these new guns were a major improvement in weapon technology.
Iron shields were installed to protect the guns and men from enemy fire and lift shafts were build to raise ammunition from the underground magazines.
A further modernisation in 1904 saw most of the Victorian guns replaced with two six-inch calibre breech-loaders, like those overlooking the river today. The guns were capable of sweeping the river with 100lb (45kg) shells at a rate of seven rounds per minute.
The fort was disarmed before the First World War. It was rearmed briefly in the 1930s for Gravesend Territorial Army training, by which time it had become a popular public garden.
Tags:Thames Walk, Gravesend, Fort
This update was first written by Darren Wall
on Saturday 19th Sep 2020.
Privacy : public
