| Summary : The upstanding and below ground remains of New Tavern Fort. It was built as a result of the 1778 survey of the defensive requirements of the Thames when fear of a French invasion led to the fort being built to provide cross fire with Tilbury on the other side of the river. Originally the fort consisted of a battery on two faces forming an angle towards the river with a strip of rampart joining it to a smaller, straight battery. Although initial construction occured between 1780 and circa 1783, the armament of the fort was updated and increased at intervals throughout the 19th century. In the 1840s the fort was modernised to take a heavier armament, which involved the reconstruction of the older gun emplacements. Between 1868 and 1872 new brick emplacements for 10 x 9-inch and 1 x 12-inch rifled muzzle-loaders were constructed, with magazines below. However, by the end of the 19th century emphasis was placed on strengthening defences downstream from Gravesend, and New Haven Fort lost some of its strategic importance. In 1905 concrete emplacements for two six-inch breech-loading guns were built. Although the fort was garrisoned during the First World War, its strategic importance continued to decline. In 1930 it was purchased by Gravesend Corporation who laid it out as a pleasure garden for the public. During the Second World War the magazine built for breech-loading guns was used for a time as an air raid shelter. Since then the site has again been cultivated as a public garden. |