Lade Fort, Lydd

[John]

Information on Lade Fort, Lydd, seems a bit sparse - presumably constructed in the period 1796-1805, it was part of the system of forts and batteries constructed in this region that included Dungeness batteries and the Martello Towers. It was re-used during both World Wars. Quite a lot remains at the site today, as can be seen from the pictures below that I took on my last visit..

[2trokker]

The buildings inside the fort were once a coastguard station. The Admiralty had a standard pattern for these, consisting of an officer's house at the end of a terrace of cottages for men, which may be seen at various locations around the country. The number of cottages varied depending on location. There are 16 cottages at Pett Level, 9 at Portland Bill. The old Naval Signal Station at Dungeness is built to the same basic pattern. They would all have been built towards the end of the nineteenth century.