Tilbury Fort, Essex

There has been a fort at Tilbury since Tudor times. It’s purpose was to defend the river Thames from hostile shipping. Famously it was the place where Elizabeth I addressed her troops as they prepared to fight any invaders who made it on shore from the Spanish Armada in 1588. Elizabeth had the fortifications of Tilbury upgraded according to the latest military thinking with angled bastions allowing for areas of crossfire at an invading enemy. After Elizabeth, however, the fort was neglected and this became a pattern of neglect followed by rebuilding when the threat of invasion threatened right up to the 1950s when the military left Tilbury for the last time.

With such a long history you would expect the fort to be covered with graffiti but this is not the case. Most of the buildings date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The substantial buildings were gunpowder magazines storing tonnes of explosives. As a stray spark could result in most of the fort being relocated to Gravesend across the river there were incredibly strict rules governing what could and couldn’t be brought into the magazines. Knives, or anything else that could make a spark, were out of the question. Any graffiti, such as it is, is around the doorways and that mostly in the East Gunpowder Magazine. There is also some pew graffiti in the garrison chapel.

The small chapel has some figures and faces on the pews as well as some names and initials.

Most of the graffiti is to be found around the doorway of the East Gunpowder Magazine. This building dates to the early 18th century, but the dates are mostly 20th century with a few 19th century examples.

Tilbury Fort is under the care of English Heritage. Opening times and directions can be found on their website.

 

 

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WC Cooper, 1813, IPA, TC, 1905, T Moore, Hay, 1906, TWB 1908, CJ, 2006, PB L DJ, 17-8-62, RB 59, RTE 19, YAZ US, RWB 1901, TP 1802, 1750, BW 1976, JVIE, 9.2.1916, VB, Thoy, 1975, GR Taylor 29-8-1909, Bill Charley, TF 1914, G, 1984, I Hodges, EAK, JAM, IJB, Dell4, MD, 1894 1943, P4, M, L Bourne, 1945, TC, HA, TED, T Jackson, LA Fewson, 1908, HE, TE, ES, Cross, First, Courtney, Head, Figure, Stephen