Fort Burgoyne

Fort Burgoyne stands on Castle Hill northeast of Dover, built in the 1860s as one of the Palmerston forts. It follows a polygonal design with detached eastern and western redoubts, overlooking the high ground above the port. The fort takes its name from Field Marshal Sir John Fox Burgoyne, Inspector-General of Fortifications in the 19th century. After the First World War it served as a military store for Connaught Barracks. The Ministry of Defence once owned the central part, which is now being redeveloped for housing. The Land Trust acquired the fort and 42 hectares in 2014 and spent over £2.5 million stabilising the site. The West Wing Battery has been transformed from derelict buildings lost in woodland into an informal recreation space opened in 2023. A project completed in 2023 provides space for the first business tenants. The Trust works with the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership to run weekly volunteer groups and education visits. Green Angels training courses take place on site each year. Public events include a weekly volunteer group, children’s activities and an annual wildlife family funday. The fort has hosted Dover Armed Forces Weekend in 2022 and 2023. In February 2020 the Waking the Giant event opened the site for a day, featuring the Museum of British Folklore, weaving demonstrations and ceramics workshops. A community archaeology dig informed landscaping plans for the West Wing Battery. The surrounding fields offer views across the historic landscape.