More fort to be seen
Work in progress on new display
Thames Defence Heritage are entering their 36th year at New Tavern Fort. Meanwhile, and as part of Gravesham Borough Council’s ‘Great Expectations’ project, improvements to Gravesend’s Riverside Leisure Area are now taking shape. From this New Tavern Fort has benefited from heritage landscaping, involving the clearance of trees and bushes to allow a better view from the outside of ramparts and the ditch. A more bare appearance to the interior of the fort is also being achieved. This is in keeping with the Fort Gardens as created in 1932. The end result will be to give the site more of its historical fort appearance. We will review the final result for you, include images on this website and invite you to visit.
Age of Heroes and a moving feast
The release of this Sean Bean film, partly filmed at Gravesend’s Cold War bunker, has been put back again, this time until the 20th May. Project members are looking forward to seeing this film when it finally appears.
Clarity interpretation study of New Tavern Fort
The commissioning of this study by the council was a welcome recognition of the importance of the fort. It is, however, voluminous and somewhat impenetrable to the reader. It appears to have been adopted by the council as a basis for future interpretation of the site. There are some issues relating to this and we’ll see how things go, so watch this space…
The Bott/Astley-Cooper study ‘A Museum for Gravesham’
In contrast, this study is a model of conciseness and clarity. This welcome initiative, commissioned by Gravesham Borough Council, has advocated the provision of a general local history museum. Regrettably, it faltered in its understanding in one important reference to New Tavern Fort.
Enhancement of the Victorian magazines of New Tavern Fort
At work on the pillar drill to create a new exhibit
Thames Defence Heritage are currently driving forward improvements to the Victorian magazines. These will be reported on with images in a later update.
Stepping down and stepping up
After 35 years, Victor Smith has stepped down as Director of Thames Defence Heritage. There will be no gold watch however as he is continuing as the historian for the organisation and as the coordinator of this website. He has been succeeded by Laurie Coker, formerly Deputy Director, with many years of important and creative contributions to the fort behind him.
Sean Bean film Age of Heroes
Partly filmed in the Cold War bunker at Gravesend in May 2010, we have heard that this WW2 epic about a British commando raid on Norway will be released in March. It co-stars Danny Dyer and James D’Arcy. The bunker sequence involved extras playing the part of WRNS and TDH are still finding their hairclips.
Studies of Cliffe Fort and Slough Fort
English Heritage is carrying out an historical study of Cliffe Fort which has the added interest of its Brennan torpedo station. A private consultant is also undertaking a study of Slough Fort at Allhallows. We look forward to seeing the results in due course.
An overview of the 20th century defences of Gravesham and Dartford
The first stage of Kent County Council’s Defence of Kent Project has recently been reported. Entitled Kent’s Twentieth Century Military and Civil Defences: Part I – Thameside, it was published in Archaeologia Cantiana, Vol. CXXX (2010). The Thameside study area comprised Gravesham and Dartford council districts within which over 500 sites were identified. Part 2 on the Medway area should appear in Vol. CXXXI (2011). The reports link to an on-line site database – www.kent.gov.uk/HER. Canterbury district is at an advanced drafting stage and will be submitted for publication in a later volume.
As part of TDH’s joint programme with Gravesham Borough Council to rearm the Fort, a new replica 9-inch calibre rifled muzzle-loader was delivered and mounted in March 2010. See the images below:
The historic presentation of New Tavern Fort is set to take further strides forward as part of the funding package for Gravesham Borough Council’s major scheme for the regeneration of Gravesend’s Riverside Leisure Area.
This will include (a) clearance of invasive growth from the ramparts and upper escarp of the ditch to improve the visibility of the fort (b) the mounting of a second 9-inch rifled muzzle-loader to enhance the display of armament and (c) the removal of several trees from the Promenade to restore historic views and an understanding of the relationship between the fort and the River Thames. Other improvements will include renewal of interpretation panels and the possible creation of a fort viewing platform. There may be more.
As a preliminary to these works Archaeology South East cut a number of trenches to establish possible impacts of the improvement works on any archaeology under the present surfaces.
Preliminary works have begun and phase 1 should be completed by the Spring of 2010.
Watch this space for more news and pictures!
Thames Defence Heritage has won the Council for Kentish Archaeology’s 2009 Peter Grant Local Group Award for the restoration of the Cold War Gravesend Civil Defence Control Centre. The award was acknowledged in an address by the Mayor at a full meeting of Gravesham Borough Council
For those who don’t know, we now have a 440 kiloton air-dropped bomb on show inside the control centre.
April 11, 2011 4:38 pm
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