Cockham Wood Fort

Part of the stonework of Cockham Wood Fort that has survived to this day

Cockham Wood Fort is the ruin of a fort on the north bank of the River Medway in the English county of Kent .

In conjunction with Fort Gillingham , it was intended to protect the Chatham Dockyard from attack from the sea. Upnor Castle had fulfilled this role for the previous 100 years. The fort was built in 1669 by Sir Bernard de Gomme in response to the Dutch raid on the Chatham shipyards in 1667.

Cockham Wood Fort was abandoned in 1818 after it had been slowly falling into disrepair for decades. Today only part of the fort is preserved; most clearly visible is the masonry of the lower battery on the bank of the river.

Web links and sources

• Photograph of the remains of Cockham Wood Fort. Geographer.
• Cockham Wood Fort in Heritage at Risk Register . English Heritage.
• Chatham Defences in Castles and Fortifications in England and Wales . E-castles.

Coordinates: 51 ° 24 '43.2 "  N , 0 ° 33' 3.6"  E