Fort Pitt was a fort built between 1805 and 1819 on the high ground of the boundary between Chatham and Rochester, Kent. It did not last long, becoming a hospital for invalid soldiers in 1828, with an asylum added in 1849. Florence Nightingale started the first Army Medical School there in 1860, but by the 1920s the hospital was closed and the site converted into a girls school, now known as Fort Pitt Grammar School. The University for the Creative Arts building also occupies part of the site of the original fort and some original brickwork remains visible at the side of the building.
Most of the outer defences of the fort survive including parts of the outer works which extend into the adjacent recreation grounds to the east and west. Some of the internal buildings date to the period of use as a hospital and possibly earlier, maybe even preceding the defensive works. From the hill it is possible to see Fort Clarence tower to the west, and the remains of Fort Amherst to the north east. A ditch, wall and (reputedly) tunnels were to link the three into a single fortified Napoleonic defensive line, defending the naval docks against a (land-based) attack from the south.
not great deal of info about on this one, did find this plan
most of the above ground parts of the fort have been demolished, this report deal solely with the underground parts.
Recently opened up by members of the kent underground research group, I visited at the weekend.
entry was via a recently dug out hole wich was still mostly full of spoil poured down over the years, once inside the tunnels are very clean, as you would expect for something thats been closed for years.
This wooden frame in the doorway was tilted so a gas curtain could be laid against it
some of the spoil that has biult up over the years
there are several bricked up doorways in the tunnels, these are to be broken through to see if any further tunnels etc lie beyond.
one room contains two chemical toilets, normally found in ROC posts
once again, appologis for the poor quality pics, I seem to have a problem with my camera when I take pics underground, this happened before but I thought I had it sorted, seems it has returned.
Thanks for looking.
Dave
Most of the outer defences of the fort survive including parts of the outer works which extend into the adjacent recreation grounds to the east and west. Some of the internal buildings date to the period of use as a hospital and possibly earlier, maybe even preceding the defensive works. From the hill it is possible to see Fort Clarence tower to the west, and the remains of Fort Amherst to the north east. A ditch, wall and (reputedly) tunnels were to link the three into a single fortified Napoleonic defensive line, defending the naval docks against a (land-based) attack from the south.
not great deal of info about on this one, did find this plan
most of the above ground parts of the fort have been demolished, this report deal solely with the underground parts.
Recently opened up by members of the kent underground research group, I visited at the weekend.
entry was via a recently dug out hole wich was still mostly full of spoil poured down over the years, once inside the tunnels are very clean, as you would expect for something thats been closed for years.
This wooden frame in the doorway was tilted so a gas curtain could be laid against it
some of the spoil that has biult up over the years
there are several bricked up doorways in the tunnels, these are to be broken through to see if any further tunnels etc lie beyond.
one room contains two chemical toilets, normally found in ROC posts
once again, appologis for the poor quality pics, I seem to have a problem with my camera when I take pics underground, this happened before but I thought I had it sorted, seems it has returned.
Thanks for looking.
Dave
