| Summary : The site of Milton Blockhouse, built by Henry VIII in 1539 as part of his chain of coastal defences to defend against possible French or Spanish invasion. It was one of five blockhouses built along this stretch of the river Thames to defend the approach to London and the dockyards at Woolwich and Deptford; the others being at Tilbury, Higham, East Tilbury and Gravesend. It was probably remodelled in 1545 with the addition of an angle bastion. In 1553 Milton blockhouse was disarmed and in 1557-8 it was demolished.The blockhouse was probably similar to the D-shaped plan of Gravesend and Tilbury blockhouses and would have been armed with thirty guns. However, excavations carried out between 1974-8 by the Kent Defence Research Group uncovered remains of an angle bastion on the landward side, probably flanked by another to the west. Angle bastion design was not introduced in England until the mid 1540s and therefore probably represents a later addition to the fortification. |
More information : [Area TQ 652 743] Milton Blockhouse was built in 1539 "on the piece of land called the Chapel Field, probably because of its contiguity to the ancient Chapel or Chantry of Milton". [See TQ 67 S.E.1]. The blockhouse shown on a map of 1588, has disappeared, but during excavation work in 1826 for the setting up of a boundary mark of the Port of London, bricks similar to those used in Gravesend Blockhouse [TQ 67 S.W.77] were found. (1-3)
No further information. (4)
Please refer to these sources for additional information. (5-6)
Excavations were carried out by the Kent Defence Research Group at intervals during 1974-8. The purpose of the excavations was to verify identification and to recover a basic plan which could be compared with the D-shaped Gravesend and Tilbury blockhouses, the plans of which were the only ones previously known of the five Thames blockhouses. The excavations revealed a plan suggesting an angle bastion, presumably flanked by another to the west, of which remains might still exist under Canal Road. The latter concealed the front of the building. The angle bastion design represented in the excavated foundations had not yet appeared in England in 1539/40 and the Milton bastion must be a later addition to the original blockhouse, strengthening the landward side. The original blockhouse, of uncertain plan (but conceivably D-shaped like the Gravesend and Tilbury blockhouses) lies presumably to the front under Canal Road. (7)
Please refer to these sources for additional information. (8-12)
A blockhouse and artillery castle built in 1539 with the addition of an angle bastion in circa 1545. Decommissioned in 1553 and demolished in 1557-8. (13)
Blockhouse built as one of five blockhouses on the Thames, armed with 30 guns. Its plan is unknown, but an early angular bastion was discovered under Canal Road in 1978. Additional works were added in 1545 by a Mr Lee. It was disarmed in 1553 and demolished in 1557-8. (14)
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