Cockham Wood Fort

Cockham Wood Fort stands on the north bank of the River Medway in Kent. It was built in 1669 by Sir Bernard de Gomme after the Dutch raid on Chatham Dockyard two years earlier. The fort was designed with a brick base supporting an upper tier of earthworks. At its completion it mounted 21 guns on the lower tier and 20 on the upper tier. It formed part of a defence system with nearby Fort Gillingham to protect the dockyard. The fort’s active life lasted less than a century and a half. By around 1818 it had been abandoned and left to decay. Decades of gradual dilapidation followed before the site was recognised as a scheduled monument. Today it appears on the Heritage at Risk Register, marking its importance and vulnerability. Visitors can still see parts of the original structure. The most visible remains are the brickwork of the lower battery, standing prominently along the shoreline. The site offers a quiet view over the Medway and a glimpse of the fort’s former military purpose. It remains a place where history can be touched as well as seen.