TILBURY FORT

Since the early times, England has always been exposed to the threat of invasion. The Romans, then the Vikings and The Dutch (The Dutch??) in the 18th Century they actually made their way up the Medway and caused a considerable amount of havoc and damage before before being repelled.

So it is no suprise that The Thames, that great river which flows into the heart of London, should be a natural target for would be invaders, and consequently the object of much defence.
Tilbury, which is now the enormous port for cargo from around the world, is near the mouth of the Thames, and it was here that a fort was established in the 17th Century. With a commanding view across the extent of the river, it's early fortification consisted of the old canon and ball, which with their limited range and rate of fire, were only just a sufficient deterrent to trespassers. It was taken very seriously, and the powder stores in which dozens of barrels of gunpowder were stored had walls almost three feet thick and copper plated doors to avoid any chance of a spark.

Later developements saw the introduction of more sophisticated weaponry including 9" canons which could hurl a rifled shell some 5 miles. Mind you, it took an officer and five men to load and fire the beasts. Modern times saw the installation of rapid firing anti aircraft guns and 6" naval guns which had total command of the River.

The barracks for the other ranks were originally quite basic, with small rooms containing 4 beds each of which was the berth for two soldiers. It was said that during the colder months, the windows and vents were securely closed giving rise to some ghastly thoughts about the resultant smell from unwashed bodies in close proximity. The officers, of course, had separate and quite elegant quarters, despite which, several of them elected to live at Gravesend across the water where there was more opportunity for entertainment. Such was life in those days.

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