A brief history of the Thames defences at East Tilbury

1402 - Earthworks with towers constructed to defend the village from French invaders.

1540 - 15 cannon blockhouse built at Coalhouse Point by Henry VIII as part of the general scheme of coastal defence (site flooded due to erosion of the river bank). Other blockhouses built at Tilbury, Higham, Milton and Gravesend where foundations can be seen in front of the Clarendon Hotel.

1547 - Armament of East Tilbury blockhouse increased to 27 guns with a maximum range of 1 mile.

1553 - East Tilbury blockhouse disarmed.

1588 - East Tilbury blockhouse appeared to play no significant part in the Armada preparations.

1667 - Dutch incursions into the Thames and Medway.

1670 - Tilbury Fort built to the design of Sir Bernard de Gomme.

1780 - New Tavern Fort built at Gravesend.

1799 - Four 24 pounder cannon, range 2½ miles, in a battery at East Tilbury (roughly on site of present open battery at Coalhouse Fort) in response to renewed French threats. New batteries also built at Shornemead and Lower Hope. New Tavern (at Gravesend) and Tilbury forts rearmed.

1815 - French defeated at Waterloo. Lower Thames batteries disarmed.

1855 - East Tilbury Battery greatly extended to take 17 x 32 pounder guns.

1859 - Mounting concern about the French and the development of the ironclad warship led to a complete reappraisal of coastal defences by a Royal Commission.

1861 - New powerful forts constructed at Coalhouse, Shornemead and Cliffe planned to work in unison and provide a first line of defence for the protection of the river approach to the Capital and Woolwich Arsenal. A second line was provided by upgrading the forts at Tilbury and Gravesend.

1865 - Colonel, later General, Charles Gordon supervised the later stages of the construction of these new Thames defences.

1874 - After several changes of plan, Coalhouse Fort completed and armed with 3 x 9 inch rifled muzzle-loading (R.M.L.s), shell-firing guns in the open battery, and 11 inch R.M.L.s in the casemates. These bombproof casemates had 5-foot thick roofs of brick and concrete with granite fronts and iron shields.

1877 - Four 12.5 inch R.M.L.s added to the armament each weighing 38 tons with a range of 5,500 yards. The intended garrison was 6 officers and 180 N.C.O.s and men but these figures were not realised until the beginning of World War I.

1891 - An entirely new East Tilbury Battery was constructed between river and village street. It was designed for 4 x 6-inch breech loading guns and 2 x 10-inch breech loading guns on disappearing mountings. These were new breechloaders using smokeless powder with a range of 6,000 yards, which made the cumbersome R.M.L.s obsolete.

1893 - Wing battery constructed just south of Coalhouse Fort for 4 x 6 pounder quick firing guns, which fired at 25 rounds per minute, mainly for minefield defence. Similar batteries were established at Cliffe and Shornemead.

1903 - The disappearing mountings of the 6 inch breech loading guns at East Tilbury Battery were replaced by conventional ones and the 10 inch breech loading guns declared obsolescent. Coalhouse Fort casemates were abandoned as gun housings. The east facing part of the roof was strengthened with huge concrete pillars and 4 x 6-inch breech-loading guns with a 7 mile range were installed. On the more southerly part of the roof, 4 x 12 pounder quick firing guns were installed with a range of 4½ miles. The 6 pounder guns in the wing battery were removed and replaced by searchlights. Earth was banked against the casemates to give extra protection and to reduce the profile, although it seems that some of the 12.5 inch R.M.L.s remained until 1907. By this date the 12 pounder Battery on the roof of Coalhouse Fort was obsolescent.

1914 - Main defences established further down river. Coalhouse Fort used as an examination battery in conjunction with Cliffe and Shornemead. Remotely controlled mines laid in the river between the forts. Thames and Medway defences manned by No. 2 Coy. London Electrical Engineers and No. 2 Coy. Royal Garrison Artillery.

1940 - Two 5.5 inch mounted in steel gun houses on the roof of the fort together with an emplacement for a Bofors AA gun. At this time there were several searchlight positions both in and immediately outside the fort. Bowater's Farm (1,200 yards WNW of Coalhouse Fort) developed as major A.A. gun site originally with 4 x 3.7 inch guns, then later 4 x 4.5 inch guns and finally 4 x 5.5 inch dual purpose guns which could be used in an A.A. role or for coast defence. These guns became part of the Rotor system and were not dismounted until the 1950s. 1944 - Manning of Coalhouse Fort guns transferred from 356 Coast Battery to a specially trained Home Guard contingent.

1962 - Acquired by Thurrock Urban District Council from the Ministry of Defence for development as a riverside amenity.

1983 - Conservation and restoration started by the Coalhouse Fort Project (registered charity No. 289952). This volunteer group has opened the fort to the public every year since then.