Fort Borstal was built as an afterthought from the 1859 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom, by convict labour. Construction started in 1875 but was suspended in 1885. The fort was completed around 1895. it was one of a series of four forts that ringed Chatham.[1]
A 18 in (457 mm) gauge railway was built connecting the four Chatham ring forts of Borstal, Bridgewoods, Horstead and Luton. A rope-worked incline led west from Fort Borstal down to a gravel pit and wharf on the River Medway. About 600 yards (550 m) of track remains intact at Fort Borstal.[1]
After many years' use as a pig farm and store for the nearby Young Offenders Institution it was sold in 1991 to a company hoping to make it a museum, but that proved unsuccessful and the fort has been converted into living accommodation. There is no public access to the site.
References
^ abLyne, R.M. (1983). Military Railways in Kent. Ramsgate: North Kent Books. ISBN0-948305-04-5.
Bibliography
Out Of The Shadows, A History Of Borstal Village, by Stephen Hannington, 2015. ISBN 978-0-9564677-7-5
External links
Victorian Forts data sheet
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fort, borstal, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, february, 20. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Fort Borstal news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Fort Borstal was built as an afterthought from the 1859 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom by convict labour Construction started in 1875 but was suspended in 1885 The fort was completed around 1895 it was one of a series of four forts that ringed Chatham 1 Fort BorstalBorstal Kent EnglandFort BorstalCoordinates51 22 14 N 00 29 21 E 51 37056 N 0 48917 E 51 37056 0 48917 Coordinates 51 22 14 N 00 29 21 E 51 37056 N 0 48917 E 51 37056 0 48917TypePalmerston fortSite informationOwnerPrivateSite historyBuilt1885Built byCaptain Siborne R E MaterialsBrick and earthworksBattles warsWorld War IIEventsScheduled monumentOfficial nameFort BorstalReference no 1003402Fort Borstal was designed to hold the high ground southwest of Rochester South East England It is of polygonal design and was not originally armed An anti aircraft battery was based there in the Second World War A 18 in 457 mm gauge railway was built connecting the four Chatham ring forts of Borstal Bridgewoods Horstead and Luton A rope worked incline led west from Fort Borstal down to a gravel pit and wharf on the River Medway About 600 yards 550 m of track remains intact at Fort Borstal 1 After many years use as a pig farm and store for the nearby Young Offenders Institution it was sold in 1991 to a company hoping to make it a museum but that proved unsuccessful and the fort has been converted into living accommodation There is no public access to the site References Edit a b Lyne R M 1983 Military Railways in Kent Ramsgate North Kent Books ISBN 0 948305 04 5 Bibliography Edit Out Of The Shadows A History Of Borstal Village by Stephen Hannington 2015 ISBN 978 0 9564677 7 5External links EditVictorian Forts data sheet This article about a Kent building or structure is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fort Borstal amp oldid 1057318084, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
