Coalhouse Fort

Coalhouse Fort is an artillery fort in the eastern English county of Essex. It was built in the 1860s to guard the lower Thames from seaborne attack. It stands at Coalhouse Point on the north bank of the river, at a location near East Tilbury which was vulnerable to raiders and invaders. It was the last in a series of fortifications dating back to the 15th century and was the direct successor to a smaller mid-19th century fort built on the same site. Constructed during a period of tension with France, its location on marshy ground caused problems from the start and led to a lengthy construction process. The fort was equipped with a variety of large-calibre artillery guns and the most modern defensive facilities of the time, including shell-proof casemates protected by granite facing and cast-iron shields. Its lengthy construction and the rapid pace of artillery development at the time meant that it was practically obsolete for its original purpose within a few years of its completion.

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1877 Website,  Wikimedia, Wikidata
Coalhouse Fort battery and artillery defences
fort, military museum, 

• Palmerston Forts Society page^@ A rare view inside Coalhouse Fort
• Historic England page^@ Wing Battery, Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury, Essex: Survey Report
• Pink Routes page^@
• Subterranea Britannica page^@
• Subterranean History page^@
• Thurrock Council page^@ Coalhouse Fort Advisory Group
• Underground Kent page^@
• Victorian Forts and Artillery page^@
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Location: 51.4635, 0.4327, KML, Cluster Map, Maps,
88 places

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• 

  Eynsford Castle ⓘ
  castle, now ruinous, in Eynsford, Kent, England, UK  

• 

  Lullingstone Castle ⓘ
  historic manor house in the village of Lullingstone in England  

• 

  Rochester Castle ⓘ
  castle in Rochester, Kent, South East England  

• 

  Leeds Castle ⓘ
  castle in Kent, England, UK  

• 

  Hadleigh Castle ⓘ
  Grade I listed castle in Castle Point, Essex, England, UK  

• 

  Allington Castle ⓘ
  stone-built moated castle in Allington, England

• 

  Cooling Castle ⓘ
  quadrangular castle in Cooling, Medway, Kent, United Kingdom  

• 

  Upnor Castle ⓘ
  fort located on the River Medway in Kent  

• 

  Rayleigh Mount ⓘ
  garden in Rochford, Essex, England, UK

• 

  Riverhill House ⓘ
  country house in Sevenoaks Weald, Kent, England, UK

• 

  Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway ⓘ
  heritage railway in Kent, England

• 

  Canvey Island Transport Museum ⓘ
  transport museum on Canvey Island, Essex, England, UK

• 

  Cater Museum ⓘ
  small local museum in Billericay High Street

• 

  Chatham Historic Dockyard ⓘ
  maritime museum in Chatham, Kent, England

• 

  Crofton Roman Villa ⓘ
  Roman villa in Orpington, in the London Borough of Bromley

• 

  Danson House ⓘ
  Grade I listed historic house museum in London Borough of Bexley, United Kingdom

• 

  Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation ⓘ
  zoo in the UK

• 

  Eastbury Manor House ⓘ
  Grade I listed historic house museum in London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, United Kingdom

• 

  Essex Fire Museum ⓘ
  fire museum in Essex, United Kingdom

• 

  Essex Regiment Museum ⓘ
  military museum in United Kingdom

• 

  Fort Amherst ⓘ
  fort in Chatham, UK  

• 

  Greenwich Heritage Centre ⓘ
  former museum in local history resource centre in Woolwich, London, UK

• 

  Guildhall Museum, Rochester ⓘ
  Grade I listed local museum in Rochester, Kent, England, United Kingdom

• 

  Hall Place and Gardens ⓘ
  Grade I listed house and museum in Bexley, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

• 

  HMS Cavalier ⓘ
  1944 C-class destroyer  

• 

  HMS Ocelot ⓘ
  1962 Oberon-class submarine  

• 

  Hylands ⓘ
  country house in Writtle, Essex, England, UK

• 

  Ightham Mote ⓘ
  historic house, now museum, on a moated site in Ightham, Kent, England, UK

• 

  Ingatestone Hall ⓘ
  country house in Essex, England, UK

• 

  Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker ⓘ
  ROTOR air defence control bunker converted to a Regional Seat of Government  

• 

  Kent Life ⓘ
  museum in Kent, UK

• 

  Knole House ⓘ
  country house in Sevenoaks, Kent, England, UK

• 

  Milton Chantry ⓘ
  former chantry chapel in Gravesend, Kent England

• 

  New Tavern Fort ⓘ
  historic artillery fort in Gravesend, Kent, England, UK  

• 

  Old Soar Manor ⓘ
  historic house museum in Plaxtol, Kent, England, UK

• 

  PS Kingswear Castle ⓘ
  1924 paddle steamer

• 

  PS Medway Queen ⓘ
  1924 paddle steamer  

• 

  Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment Museum ⓘ
  Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom

• 

  Rainham Hall ⓘ
  historic house museum in Rainham, London Borough of Havering, UK

• 

  Rayleigh Town Museum ⓘ
  small local museum located in Rayleigh High Street

• 

  Rayleigh Windmill Museum ⓘ
  museum in Rayleigh, England, UK

• 

  Redbridge Museum ⓘ
  museum and archive in United Kingdom

• 

  Restoration House ⓘ
  historic house and museum in Rochester, Kent, England, United Kingdom

• 

  Rotunda ⓘ
  building in Woolwich, London, United Kingdom

• 

  Sandford Mill Museum ⓘ
  industrial museum in Chelmsford

• 

  Southchurch Hall ⓘ
  Grade I listed historic house museum in Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom

• 

  Stoneacre ⓘ
  historic house in Kent, England, UK

• 

  Temple Manor ⓘ
  Grade I listed historic house museum in Medway, United Kingdom

• 

  The Hop Farm Museum ⓘ
  museum in nr. Tonbridge, England, UK

• 

  Thurrock Museum ⓘ
  local museum in Grays

• 

  Valence House Museum ⓘ
  local museum within a medieval manor house in Dagenham, United Kingdom

• 

  Valentines Mansion ⓘ
  UK historic house museum, Ilford

• 

  Coldrum Long Barrow ⓘ
  neolithic chambered long barrow near Trottiscliffe, Kent, England, UK

• 

  Tilbury Fort ⓘ
  bastioned fort on the Thames Estuary  

• 

  Dutch Cottage Museum ⓘ
  local museum on Canvey Island

• 

  Royal Arsenal ⓘ
  former arsenal in Woolwich in south-east London, England

• 

  Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery ⓘ
  regional museum, regimental museum, art gallery, heritage centre, historic house museum in Kent, England, United Kingdom

• 

  Red House ⓘ
  Grade I listed historic house museum, former home of William Morris

• 

  Slough Fort ⓘ
  fort in Allhallows, Kent, England, UK  

• 

  Coalhouse Fort ⓘ
  artillery fort at Coalhouse Point in Essex, England, UK  

• 

  Sevenoaks Museum ⓘ
  museum in Sevenoaks, Kent, England, UK, United Kingdom

• 

  Gravesham Museum ⓘ
  museum in Gravesend, England, UK

• 

  Museum of Chelmsford ⓘ
  museum in Chelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom

• 

  Eltham Palace ⓘ
  historic house museum

• 

  Maidstone Carriage Museum ⓘ
  museum in Maidstone, Kent, England, United Kingdom

• 

  Beecroft Art Gallery ⓘ
  art gallery in Southend-on-Sea

• 

  Gravesend Cold War Bunker ⓘ
  Cold War control bunker in Gravesend, Kent, England, UK  

• 

  Shoreham Aircraft Museum ⓘ
  museum in Kent, England

• 

  Six Poor Travellers House ⓘ
  museum in Rochester, Kent, England, UK

• 

  Minster Gatehouse Museum ⓘ
  museum in Sheerness, England, UK

• 

  Southend Central Museum ⓘ
  museum in Southend-on-Sea, England

• 

  Barleylands Farm Museum ⓘ
  Farm museum in Billericay, England

• 

  Battlesbridge Motorcycle Museum ⓘ
  museum in Battlesbridge, England, UK

• 

  The Who Shop Museum ⓘ
  museum in East Ham, Newham, London, England, UK

• 

  Royal Engineers Museum ⓘ
  military museum in Gillingham, Kent, England, UK  

• 

  Rose Street Cottage of Curiosities ⓘ
  museum in Sheerness, Kent, England, UK

• 

  Southend Pier Museum ⓘ
  local museum in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, United Kingdom

• 

  Purfleet Heritage & Military Centre ⓘ
  museum in Purfleet, Essex, UK

• 

  Queenborough Guildhall Museum ⓘ
  museum in Queenborough, England, UK

• 

  Sittingbourne Heritage Museum ⓘ
  museum in Sittingbourne, England, UK

• 

  West Ham United Football Club Museum ⓘ
  museum in London, England, UK

• 

  Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome ⓘ
  museum in Purleigh, England, United Kingdom

• 

  Bluetown Heritage Centre ⓘ
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• 

  Havering Museum ⓘ
  local museum, United Kingdom

• 

  Charlton Athletic Museum ⓘ
  museum in London, England, UK

• 

  Bethlem Museum of the Mind ⓘ
  re-sited and relaunched art and medical museum, sited at the Bethlam Royal Hospital, Beckenham, London Borough of Bromley, United Kingdom

• 

  Huguenot Museum ⓘ
  museum in Rochester, England, UK

• 

  RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre ⓘ
  Aviation museum in England

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1877 Coalhouse Fort

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1087 Rochester Castle

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1119 Leeds Castle

1230-01-01T00:00:00Z

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1230 Hadleigh Castle

1279-01-01T00:00:00Z

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1279 Allington Castle

1380-01-01T00:00:00Z

1380-01-01T00:00:00Z

1380 Cooling Castle

1567-01-01T00:00:00Z

1567-01-01T00:00:00Z

1567 Upnor Castle

4000-01-01T00:00:00Z

4000-01-01T00:00:00Z

-4000 Coldrum Long Barrow

1539-01-01T00:00:00Z

1539-01-01T00:00:00Z

1539 Tilbury Fort

1618-01-01T00:00:00Z

1618-01-01T00:00:00Z

1618 Dutch Cottage Museum

1671-01-01T00:00:00Z

1671-01-01T00:00:00Z

1671 Royal Arsenal

1858-01-01T00:00:00Z

1858-01-01T00:00:00Z

1858 Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery

1859-01-01T00:00:00Z

1859-01-01T00:00:00Z

1859 Red House

1867-01-01T00:00:00Z

1867-01-01T00:00:00Z

1867 Slough Fort

1905-01-01T00:00:00Z

1905-01-01T00:00:00Z

1905 Sevenoaks Museum

1911-01-01T00:00:00Z

1911-01-01T00:00:00Z

1911 Gravesham Museum

1930-01-01T00:00:00Z

1930-01-01T00:00:00Z

1930 Museum of Chelmsford

1933-01-01T00:00:00Z

1933-01-01T00:00:00Z

1933 Eltham Palace

1946-01-01T00:00:00Z

1946-01-01T00:00:00Z

1946 Maidstone Carriage Museum

1952-01-01T00:00:00Z

1952-01-01T00:00:00Z

1952 Beecroft Art Gallery

1954-01-01T00:00:00Z

1954-01-01T00:00:00Z

1954 Gravesend Cold War Bunker

1978-01-01T00:00:00Z

1978-01-01T00:00:00Z

1978 Shoreham Aircraft Museum

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

1979 Six Poor Travellers House

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

1981 Minster Gatehouse Museum

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

1981 Southend Central Museum

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

1984 Barleylands Farm Museum

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

1984 Battlesbridge Motorcycle Museum

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

1984 The Who Shop Museum

1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

1987 Royal Engineers Museum

1989-01-01T00:00:00Z

1989-01-01T00:00:00Z

1989 Rose Street Cottage of Curiosities

1989-07-08T00:00:00Z

1989-07-08T00:00:00Z

1989 Southend Pier Museum

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

1995 Purfleet Heritage & Military Centre

1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

1996 Queenborough Guildhall Museum

1999-01-01T00:00:00Z

1999-01-01T00:00:00Z

1999 Sittingbourne Heritage Museum

2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

2002 West Ham United Football Club Museum

2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

2008 Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome

2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

2009 Bluetown Heritage Centre

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

2010 Havering Museum

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

2014 Charlton Athletic Museum

2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

2015 Bethlem Museum of the Mind

2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

2015 Huguenot Museum

2021-06-01T00:00:00Z

2021-06-01T00:00:00Z

2021 RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre

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Frameless

Cliffe - Coalhouse - Shornmead Forts map

Forts for defence of the Thames and Medway - ILN 1876

Coalhouse Fort OS Nat Grid map 1964

Coalhouse Fort

Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury

East Tilbury: Coalhouse Fort

A 'giant' pillbox, Tilbury

Coalhouse Fort, Tilbury

The Moat - Coalhouse Fort

Coalhouse Fort, Tilbury

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
link	page		Palmerston Forts Society page@	A rare view inside Coalhouse Fort	Wikidata
link	page		Historic England page@	Wing Battery, Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury, Essex: Survey Report	Wikidata
link	page		Pink Routes page@		Wikidata
link	page		Subterranea Britannica page@		Wikidata
link	page		Subterranean History page@		Wikidata
link	page		Thurrock Council page@	Coalhouse Fort Advisory Group	Wikidata
link	page		Underground Kent page@		Wikidata
link	page		Victorian Forts and Artillery page@		Wikidata
site	castle		Eynsford Castle	castle, archaeological site	Wikidata
site	castle		Lullingstone Castle	castle, English country house, historic house museum	Wikidata
site	castle	1087	Rochester Castle	castle	Wikidata
site	castle	1119	Leeds Castle	castle, English country house, historic house museum	Wikidata
site	castle	1230	Hadleigh Castle	castle, ruins	Wikidata
site	castle	1279	Allington Castle	castle, English country house	Wikidata
site	castle	1380	Cooling Castle	quadrangular castle	Wikidata
site	castle	1567	Upnor Castle	castle, military museum	Wikidata
site	garden		Rayleigh Mount	garden, motte	Wikidata
site	garden		Riverhill House	garden, English country house	Wikidata
site	museum		Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway	heritage railway, narrow-gauge railway	Wikidata
site	museum		Canvey Island Transport Museum	transport museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Cater Museum	local museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Chatham Historic Dockyard	maritime museum, military museum, independent museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Crofton Roman Villa	museum, villa rustica	Wikidata
site	museum		Danson House	historic house museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation	zoo	Wikidata
site	museum		Eastbury Manor House	manor house, local museum, historic house museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Essex Fire Museum	firefighting museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Essex Regiment Museum	military museum, regimental museum, independent museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Fort Amherst	fort, military museum, independent museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Greenwich Heritage Centre	local museum, independent museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Guildhall Museum, Rochester	local museum, independent museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Hall Place and Gardens	house, local museum, historic house museum, independent museum	Wikidata
site	museum		HMS Cavalier	destroyer, museum ship, preserved watercraft	Wikidata
site	museum		HMS Ocelot	attack submarine, preserved watercraft, museum ship	Wikidata
site	museum		Hylands	building, historic house museum, English country house, country house	Wikidata
site	museum		Ightham Mote	English country house, historic house museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Ingatestone Hall	historic house museum, country house	Wikidata
site	museum		Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker	bunker, military museum, Royal Air Force station	Wikidata
site	museum		Kent Life	open-air museum, local museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Knole House	English country house, historic house museum, country house	Wikidata
site	museum		Milton Chantry	local museum, chantry	Wikidata
site	museum		New Tavern Fort	fort, military museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Old Soar Manor	manor house, historic house museum	Wikidata
site	museum		PS Kingswear Castle	museum ship, paddle steamer, preserved watercraft	Wikidata
site	museum		PS Medway Queen	museum ship, paddle steamer, preserved watercraft	Wikidata
site	museum		Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment Museum	museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Rainham Hall	historic house museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Rayleigh Town Museum	local museum, independent museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Rayleigh Windmill Museum	museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Redbridge Museum	museum, archive, county record office	Wikidata
site	museum		Restoration House	English country house, historic house museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Rotunda	museum, museum building	Wikidata
site	museum		Sandford Mill Museum	industry museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Southchurch Hall	historic house museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Stoneacre	historic house museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Temple Manor	historic house museum	Wikidata
site	museum		The Hop Farm Museum	museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Thurrock Museum	local museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Valence House Museum	house, archive, local museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum		Valentines Mansion	historic house museum	Wikidata
site	museum	4000	Coldrum Long Barrow	museum, long barrow	Wikidata
site	museum	1539	Tilbury Fort	fort, military museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1618	Dutch Cottage Museum	local museum, cottage	Wikidata
site	museum	1671	Royal Arsenal	arsenal, military museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1858	Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery	art museum, local museum, natural history museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1859	Red House	historic house museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1867	Slough Fort	fort, military museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1877	Coalhouse Fort	military museum, fort	Wikidata
site	museum	1905	Sevenoaks Museum	museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1911	Gravesham Museum	museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1930	Museum of Chelmsford	local museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1933	Eltham Palace	historic house museum, history museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1946	Maidstone Carriage Museum	museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1952	Beecroft Art Gallery	art museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1954	Gravesend Cold War Bunker	bunker, military museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1978	Shoreham Aircraft Museum	military museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1979	Six Poor Travellers House	museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1981	Minster Gatehouse Museum	museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1981	Southend Central Museum	planetarium, local museum, natural history museum, local authority museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1984	Barleylands Farm Museum	museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1984	Battlesbridge Motorcycle Museum	museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1984	The Who Shop Museum	museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1987	Royal Engineers Museum	charitable organization, military museum, independent museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1989	Rose Street Cottage of Curiosities	museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1989	Southend Pier Museum	local museum, independent museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1995	Purfleet Heritage & Military Centre	military museum, heritage center	Wikidata
site	museum	1996	Queenborough Guildhall Museum	museum	Wikidata
site	museum	1999	Sittingbourne Heritage Museum	museum	Wikidata
site	museum	2002	West Ham United Football Club Museum	museum	Wikidata
site	museum	2008	Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome	military museum, aviation museum	Wikidata
site	museum	2009	Bluetown Heritage Centre	museum, movie theater	Wikidata
site	museum	2010	Havering Museum	local museum, independent museum	Wikidata
site	museum	2014	Charlton Athletic Museum	museum	Wikidata
site	museum	2015	Bethlem Museum of the Mind	museum, independent museum	Wikidata
site	museum	2015	Huguenot Museum	museum, independent museum	Wikidata
site	museum	2021	RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre	history museum	Wikidata
commons	image		Cliffe - Coalhouse - Shornmead Forts map		Commons
commons	image		Forts for defence of the Thames and Medway - ILN 1876		Commons
commons	image		Coalhouse Fort OS Nat Grid map 1964		Commons
commons	image		Coalhouse Fort		Commons
commons	image		Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury		Commons
commons	image		East Tilbury: Coalhouse Fort		Commons
commons	image		A 'giant' pillbox, Tilbury		Commons
commons	image		Coalhouse Fort, Tilbury		Commons
commons	image		The Moat - Coalhouse Fort		Commons
commons	image		Coalhouse Fort, Tilbury		Commons