Henley Fort

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Henley Fort
Henley-Fort-View.jpg
The view across Guildford from Henley Fort
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General information
AddressHenley Fort Outdoor Education Centre, The Mount, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 4RH
Country United Kingdom
Coordinates 51°13′50″N0°35′49″W / 51.230509°N 0.5968996°W / 51.230509; -0.5968996 Coordinates: 51°13′50″N0°35′49″W / 51.230509°N 0.5968996°W / 51.230509; -0.5968996
OwnerSurrey Outdoor Learning & Development
Website
Henley Fort

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

Contents

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.

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References

  1. "Guildford Borough Historic Environment Information". www.guildford.gov.uk.
  2. 1 2 "Surrey Archaeological Society - Bulletin 405" (PDF). www.surreyarchaeology.org.uk.
  3. Chapman-Davies 2013.
  4. Evans 1998, p. 20.
  5. Kerr 1927, p. 223.
  6. "Surrey Outdoor Learning & Development - Henley Fort". www.surreyoutdoorlearning.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2016.

Bibliography