Shornemead Fort

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

History & significance

Shornemead Fort is a nineteenth-century coastal defence installation located in Kent, England, constructed during the period of heightened military concern regarding potential French invasion. Built as part of the extensive fortification programme initiated under the direction of Sir John Palliser, the fort exemplifies the standardised design of mid-Victorian military architecture adapted to estuarine defence. The structure incorporates characteristic elements of contemporary coastal fortifications, including casemented gun emplacements positioned to command approaches along the Thames estuary. Shornemead Fort represents an important phase in the evolution of British coastal defences during the mid-nineteenth century, reflecting both the technological advances in gunnery and the strategic vulnerabilities perceived along the southeast coast during this period.

Shornemead Fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1484434. View the official record →

Questions & answers

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in the UK — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.