Henley Fort

51°13′50″N 0°35′49″W / 51.230509°N 0.5968996°W / 51.230509; -0.5968996OwnerSurrey Outdoor Learning & DevelopmentWebsiteHenley Fort

Henley Fort is a Victorian fort near Guildford, Surrey, at the eastern end of the 'Hog's Back' ridge.

History

Henley Fort was built as a mobilisation centre^[1] during the 1880-90s as part of the London Defence Positions. Its purpose was to protect the capital from the French army.^[2] Initially, construction was rapid due to the invasion threat, but slowed as that threat passed.^{[citation needed]}

It is the most westerly fort of a 17-mile chain that would have formed a secondary line of defence between the South coast and London.^[2] It was never used as a fort in the conventional sense,^[3] having neither the men or the munitions to garrison it, and was instead used to train volunteers and as a monthly meeting place for the volunteers who manned it.^[4]

Ammunition was also created on site,^{[citation needed]} and the fort was constructed using chalk in order to prevent gunpowder from detonating in the event of the fort being bombed.^{[citation needed]}

During the Second World War, Henley Fort was used for defence purposes by the Home Guard.

In the 1950s it was used as a camp for local schools.^[5] Each school could attend for two weeks each year for walks around Surrey.

Present

Today the fort is an educational centre run by Surrey Outdoor Learning & Development,^[6] and as such hosts groups of all types wanting an outdoor learning experience.

References

Bibliography

External links

• Henley Fort: a London mobilisation centre