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Dover: Lock and Key of the Kingdom
Fort Burgoyne
In August 1859 a Royal Commission was instructed to look into the
“present state, condition and sufficiency of the Fortifications existing
for the defence of our United Kingdom.” One of the experts consulted
by the Commissioners was General Sir John Burgoyne, who pointed out
that any attacker who could occupy the high ground to the north of
Dover Castle would dominate the Castle. He recommended that a fort
be built on this high ground to protect the Castle from attack. Work
started on the construction of the fort in 1861, and it was originally
known as Castle Hill Fort but was soon renamed Fort Burgoyne in
honour of the General. The fort was finally completed by the end of
1868 at a total cost of £88,053.
The fort is polygonal with a 35 foot wide ditch around it. In the centre
of the north face, hidden in the ditch, is a double caponier to give
flanking fire along the ditch floor in both directions. At both the north
east and north west corners of the fort are single caponiers, with
another on the west flank to give cover to the remaining ditches. The
main fort is flanked by two wing redoubts, each with its own gun
emplacements, one on each side connected to the main fort by ditch
works. The battery at the west wing was protected by a caponier to
defend the ditch. The Dover to Deal road crosses the eastern ditch and
the Dover to Guston road the western ditch.
In the centre of the fort is a parade ground surrounded on three sides
by bomb proof barracks protected by a covering of earth on top of
which were the main gun positions. There are also two earth ramps
from the parade ground up to the level of the gun emplacements for
the transporting of the guns to their emplacements. The fort was
initially armed with 29 guns on the ramparts of which 6 were in Haxo
casemates (bomb proof vaulted gun emplacements designed by
General Haxo). In the caponiers and flanking batteries there was room
for 26 smaller guns, and two guns on the parade ground level
protected the ditch to the east wing battery. East wing battery was
equipped with five guns and west wing battery with four.
The armament of the fort was updated though out the 19th century to
keep abreast of developments in weaponry. By 1906 all the large guns
had been removed and replaced by three machine guns in the fort and
three in its wing batteries. At this time the fort became a defensible
barrack and a base for mobile guns rather than a permanent defence.
During the First World War brick gun emplacements were constructed
and during the Second World War, when the fort was home to two
batteries of 25 pounder field guns, concrete emplacements were
added.
Fort Burgoyne remains virtually unchanged today but it is has never
been accessible to the public, being within the secure area of the
former Connaught Barracks. In March 2014 plans were announced
that will open the fort to the public now that the barracks site is to be
redeveloped for housing. The plans are in their early stages but could
see the conversion of some parts of the building into holiday
accommodation.
“present state, condition and sufficiency of the Fortifications existing
for the defence of our United Kingdom.” One of the experts consulted
by the Commissioners was General Sir John Burgoyne, who pointed out
that any attacker who could occupy the high ground to the north of
Dover Castle would dominate the Castle. He recommended that a fort
be built on this high ground to protect the Castle from attack. Work
started on the construction of the fort in 1861, and it was originally
known as Castle Hill Fort but was soon renamed Fort Burgoyne in
honour of the General. The fort was finally completed by the end of
1868 at a total cost of £88,053.
The fort is polygonal with a 35 foot wide ditch around it. In the centre
of the north face, hidden in the ditch, is a double caponier to give
flanking fire along the ditch floor in both directions. At both the north
east and north west corners of the fort are single caponiers, with
another on the west flank to give cover to the remaining ditches. The
main fort is flanked by two wing redoubts, each with its own gun
emplacements, one on each side connected to the main fort by ditch
works. The battery at the west wing was protected by a caponier to
defend the ditch. The Dover to Deal road crosses the eastern ditch and
the Dover to Guston road the western ditch.
In the centre of the fort is a parade ground surrounded on three sides
by bomb proof barracks protected by a covering of earth on top of
which were the main gun positions. There are also two earth ramps
from the parade ground up to the level of the gun emplacements for
the transporting of the guns to their emplacements. The fort was
initially armed with 29 guns on the ramparts of which 6 were in Haxo
casemates (bomb proof vaulted gun emplacements designed by
General Haxo). In the caponiers and flanking batteries there was room
for 26 smaller guns, and two guns on the parade ground level
protected the ditch to the east wing battery. East wing battery was
equipped with five guns and west wing battery with four.
The armament of the fort was updated though out the 19th century to
keep abreast of developments in weaponry. By 1906 all the large guns
had been removed and replaced by three machine guns in the fort and
three in its wing batteries. At this time the fort became a defensible
barrack and a base for mobile guns rather than a permanent defence.
During the First World War brick gun emplacements were constructed
and during the Second World War, when the fort was home to two
batteries of 25 pounder field guns, concrete emplacements were
added.
Fort Burgoyne remains virtually unchanged today but it is has never
been accessible to the public, being within the secure area of the
former Connaught Barracks. In March 2014 plans were announced
that will open the fort to the public now that the barracks site is to be
redeveloped for housing. The plans are in their early stages but could
see the conversion of some parts of the building into holiday
accommodation.
