Cockham Wood Fort

Cockham Wood Fort
Hoo St Werburgh, Kent, England
Part of the surviving brickwork of the fort
Cockham Wood Fort
Coordinates 51°24′43″N 0°33′04″E / 51.412°N 00.551°E / 51.412; 00.551Coordinates: 51°24′43″N 0°33′04″E / 51.412°N 00.551°E / 51.412; 00.551
Type Artillery fort
Site information
Owner Medway Ports
Condition Ruins
Site history
Built 1669
Built by Bernard de Gomme
Materials Brick and earthworks
Events

Never used

Official name Cockham Wood Fort
Reference no. 1003362


Cockham Wood Fort was constructed in 1669 on the north bank of the River Medway.

In conjunction with Fort Gillingham it took on the role of defending Chatham Dockyard from seaborne attack, a role which had been performed by Upnor Castle for the previous hundred years. Built in 1669 by Sir Bernard de Gomme as a direct result of the Dutch raid on Chatham Dockyard in 1667. It was constructed with a brick base supporting an upper tier of earthworks. As built it had 21 guns on the lower tier and 20 on the upper tier.[1]

The fort was abandoned around 1818 after several decades of gradual dilapidation. Some of its structure is still standing, the most obvious part being the brickwork of the lower battery which is a prominent feature on the shoreline of the River Medway.

A scheduled monument,[2] it is on the Heritage at Risk register.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Chatham Defences". CASTLES AND FORTIFICATIONS OF ENGLAND & WALES. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  2. ↑ Historic England. "Cockham Wood Fort (1003362)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "Cockham Wood Fort". Historic England. Retrieved 1 July 2018.


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