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Report - - Shoremead Fort; Higham, Kent. April 16 | Military Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Shoremead Fort; Higham, Kent. April 16

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Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Shoremead Fort.

Report via wiki; with some links

Shornemead Fort was in use from its completion in 1870 to its abandonment in the 1950s. Much of it was demolished by the Army Demolition School of the Royal Engineers in the 1960s. The barracks and administrative buildings have been completely destroyed and only the front of the casemates survives along with the magazines underneath.

The surviving fragments of the fort and the area around it are part of a nature reserve and can be visited by the public.

Map of location

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Plans of the working fort

Shornemead_Fort_lower_level_plan.jpg

Shornemead_Fort_upper_level_plan.jpg

Explore in the rain btw/photo quality not good. Sorry.


The explore started with a very long walk, never ending I thought. Horses crossing in front of us. Fields either side had gaps in the fences and animals had escaped. Then came the bog like grass, watching every step so I didnt go down into the unknown. I had heard of sunken tunnels and even a buried tank. Finally arrived at a very small but peaceful place. Fort Shoremead. Not a lot left, but a nice quiet and yet atmospheric place, with a great view over the Thames.



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Nemo Russel

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Hi. I grew up in Shorne as a boy and played down there many times. I'm afraid the tank disappeared some years ago, and last time (2009?) I went there, most of the tunnels had been bulldozed up. Pleased you had a good look round though. And it's still worth going to.
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Hi. I grew up in Shorne as a boy and played down there many times. I'm afraid the tank disappeared some years ago, and last time (2009?) I went there, most of the tunnels had been bulldozed up. Pleased you had a good look round though. And it's still worth going to.


Cheers Nemo :thumb I wont waste time looking for the tank anymore then lol
 

Nemo Russel

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Cheers Nemo :thumb I wont waste time looking for the tank anymore then lol
No worries. It was out in what I called the bomb fields - the marshes to the east as you get to the end of the track. It was pretty stripped. Turret had gone.
I still love the fort. I dread to think what parents would say now if they knew thier kids were climbing into those tunnels. Good old days of BMX's and no mobile phones! Hehe! Look forward to your future trips.
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
No worries. It was out in what I called the bomb fields - the marshes to the east as you get to the end of the track. It was pretty stripped. Turret had gone.
I still love the fort. I dread to think what parents would say now if they knew thier kids were climbing into those tunnels. Good old days of BMX's and no mobile phones! Hehe! Look forward to your future trips.



So true. I would go mad if I thought my kids when younger were in tunnels, but im a grown adult doing this stuff lol. How we relive our youth through UE , I love it. Yep good times, bikes and no mobiles, agree 100% lol
 

Nemo Russel

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
So true. I would go mad if I thought my kids when younger were in tunnels, but im a grown adult doing this stuff lol. How we relive our youth through UE , I love it. Yep good times, bikes and no mobiles, agree 100% lol
My youngest is 12 and he's been out a few times. Nowhere I haven't been before, and I make sure he's safe. But HE doesn't know that. He absolutely loves exploring - and he asks MORE questions afterwards. It's a real joy to see a little bit of "Get off the X Box and go out and have a real adventure" and it sort of plants a seed and inspires him to ask about what happened in these places.
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
My youngest is 12 and he's been out a few times. Nowhere I haven't been before, and I make sure he's safe. But HE doesn't know that. He absolutely loves exploring - and he asks MORE questions afterwards. It's a real joy to see a little bit of "Get off the X Box and go out and have a real adventure" and it sort of plants a seed and inspires him to ask about what happened in these places.



Yep that is true. Mine when younger wondered near Littlebrook power station and found some abandoned buildings. They photographed them, but now they are teenagers and older, the xbox, pub, parties are in play. I so want them to show me this place lol. Oh humm. Kids are great at finding places we miss lol. But when I was a kid, I did nothing but explore, so many tunnels, and old houses where I grew up, all gone now or converted :( now days I would appreciate them.
 
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