GRAVESEND DISTRICT
Forts & Defences
SOME FORTS AND DEFENCES IN KENT ARE KNOWN TO HAVE ACTIVITY, AS MENTIONED BELOW AND SOME ALLOW INVESTIGATIONS AND PARANORMAL NIGHTS, WHILE OTHERS HAVE NO EVIDENCE GATHERED, SO THEY COULD BE BUZZING WITH ACTIVITY FOR ALL WE KNOW, JUST WAITING TO BE EXPLORED.
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It should not be assumed that these sites are all publicly accessible at all times and it may be on private property. Please check first and get permission, if necessary....Do not trespass!
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CLICK ON PICTURE FOR THE BUSINESS WEBSITE
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If you hear of any reports of Paranormal Activity at any of the listed places that arent reported here, or you know of any not mentioned please get in touch Thankyou
NEW TAVERN FORT
Fort Gardens, Commercial Place, Gravesend DA12
**PARANORMAL ACTIVITY**
Open to the public for over 20 years, with up to 40 reported sightings of ghoulish activity. In 2009, David Mills wrote an article entitled 'NORTH KENT Is Where You Live Haunted', which appeared on the News Shopper Website. Victor Smith, a volunteer at the fort, is quoted as saying: "We have had lots of reports from visitors about things they have seen, sounds they have heard and things they have felt in terms of cold spots, typical of alleged hauntings."According to Anna Dubuis in an article entitled 'The ghosts and legends of North Kent', which appeared in the Gravesend Reporter on Wednesday, 31st October 2012. - James Balan was volunteering there in 1992 when he saw his first apparition. "I went down to the tunnels to get some wood, and I turned around and saw a Victorian soldier working down there. "I could see the buttons on his uniform. I took a deep breath and quickly got out. "Sometimes you think you see something, but what I saw was indisputably a ghost; it was a memory of the past years coming back." You can watch past paranormal events, visitors experiences, evidence and activities on the GofEPS YouTube playlist HERE
**HISTORY**
New Tavern Fort is a unique and historic artillery fort in Gravesend, Kent, and a significant part of the areas history.
It was situated in the gardens of Fort House which belonged to Major General Charles George Gordons (28 Januaty 1833 - 26 January 1885),
The Fort dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries, it stands as an unusually well-preserved example of an 18th-century fortification, a testament to the strategic importance it once held.
Constructed during the American War of Independence, New Tavern Fort was a formidable guardian of the Thames, standing against the threat of French and Spanish raiders supporting the newly formed United States of America. In the mid-19th century, it was redesigned and rebuilt to face a new challenge: iron-clad French warships.
In 1884, the hospital was removed, and a new, larger one was created at the Milton Barracks. The space was turned into the married artillerymen barracks.
By the start of the 20th century, the Thames defences had been moved further downriver to the estuary and the fort was disarmed.
After fulfilling its defensive role, the fort's grounds were opened to the public as pleasure gardens. This transformation from a military structure to a public leisure area showcases its adaptability, making it an appealing destination for diverse visitors. However, it was temporarily taken back into military use for defensive purposes during the Second World War, highlighting its continued relevance and adaptability.
I have found a few deaths that occurred at the fort:
On 20th May 1869, Gustavus Thompson, private in the 27th regiment, was taken ill in the evening at Tilbury Fort. The following morning, between six and seven, He was transferred by water to the New Tavern Fort hospital. He was insensible at the time and died several minutes after admission.
According to the evidence, the deceased had been in India for several years. On the previous evening, he had been drinking, and it was stated that, of late, he had occasionally taken too much liquor. The Surgeon attached to the hospital said he found no external markings and could not give a positive cause of death without a post-mortem, but the probability was that death had been caused by an effusion of blood upon the brain, which might have been brought on by drinking. The jury gave a verdict of death from natural causes.
There is a news article about a customary military honour funeral for Sergeant Thomas Collins from the 15th Foot regiment on Monday, 31st January 1870. He died on Friday, 28th January, at New Tavern Fort Hospital, but I have found no other newspaper articles about his death.
1st February 1894 Lieut. Jamie George Rogan, an officer in the Royal Artillery, Died suddenly, having taken to his quarters a few days before and received no medical assistance until a few hours before his death. He had returned from Singapore 5 months before and, while there, had a fever. Lieut. Rogan had frequently complained of pains in his chest but refused any medical help. Eventually, he was seen by Surgeon Leiut Anderson at midday, and he visited him every half hour after. At quarter past eight, he went into the room. He found Rogan kneeling on the floor next to his bed. With assistance, he got him up on the bed, and Dr Brydon was called for, who arrived 4 minutes later and pronounced him deceased. The verdict was death by natural causes - Syncope. He was buried at Gravesend Cemetary with full honours.
On 28th August 1896, John Parsons, aged 26, of Wellington Street, died at the New Tavern Fort. He was a pensioner from the Royal Artillery working as a labourer at the barracks. Parsons had complained of chest pains when he walked fast but refused to see a doctor. He had finished for the day, and as he walked out of the guard room, he placed his hand on his head and leaned against the wall as if dizzy. Corp J Rose of the Royal Artillery grabbed him, laid him on the floor and called for medical assistance. Dr Shipworth arrived and pronounced him deceased. A post-mortem found his heart was dilated and had a fatty degeneration of long-standing. Death was recorded as Syncope - due to natural causes.
Today, the fort is part of Gravesham Borough Council's Riverside Leisure Area. Its surface area is open to the public all year round, and a local heritage group opens the restored magazine area on summer weekends. Restoration work began in 1975, and in 1977, the fort was granted a Grade II listing for its architectural and historic significance, reflecting its unique and complete example of a 19th-century fortification.
In the 1980s, two salvaged 6-inch guns were reinstated in the fort, making it the only fully armed two-gun battery of its kind in the UK mainland. The magazines have also been refurbished and re-equipped to an extent that is unparalleled in the UK. The fort's display of guns and emplacements dating from the 18th to the 20th century is truly exceptional, adding to its historical significance and the fascination it holds for history enthusiasts.