Fort Burgoyne, Dover

[John]

Various alarms regarding French expansion caused money to be spent once again on fortifications and armaments throughout the 1850s but it was not until August 1859 that a Royal Commission was instructed to enquire into the "present state, condition and sufficiency of the Fortifications existing for the defence of our United Kingdom..." Work was already underway on the Western Heights at Dover but when the Commission reported in February 1860, amongst their recommendations was the construction of a new fort to the north of Dover Castle "in order to prevent an enemy establishing his batteries on the high ground, which overlooks the castle in that direction." Although this fort was originally called Castle Hill Fort it was quickly renamed Fort Burgoyne in honour of the General who had pushed so hard for new fortifications. In November 1860 approval was granted to acquire the land and the outline design approved by the Secretary of State for War. In June 1861 work began on the construction of bomb proof casemated barracks to house one Field Officer, six officers, 217 men and two horses. These barracks were built by civilian contractors at a total cost of £29,508 but the remainder of the work was completed by military labour.

The fort was designed by Captain Edmund Du Cane who was also responsible for the reconstruction of the defences on the Western Heights. The completed form of the fort is polygonal reflecting other forts engendered by the Royal Commission, such as those on Portsdown Hill at Portsmouth. So there had been a remote possibility that the place might have been named 'Fort Du Cane' instead of 'Burgoyne', which would have been a catchier name.. The Fort is a complex geometrical shape and it is positioned to face almost due North. Its flanks were protected by two additional wing batteries with a system of ditches and lines connecting them to the main fort. The rear of the fort is very open and contains the Parade Ground and has no defences other than the gorge ditch and the entrance is from this direction over a bridge which is approached through Connaught Barracks. Apparently, in the event of the Fort being captured by enemy forces, the garrison would retreat through the tunnels to the Castle and could then concentrate their fire upon the rear of the fort which would make it untenable. The construction is basically an extensive series of casemates at natural ground level and additional rooms at basement level on each flank with tunnels leading downwards from these areas to the left and right flank caponnieres. There is also a central caponniere and all of these are two storeys high incorporating angled gun ports.

The casemates at ground level are covered with earth banks through which numerous chimneys and ventilation shafts penetrate. On top of this structure there are three additional casemates which are formed in pairs in the same positions as the caponnieres beneath. According to records, 29 guns could be mounted on the ramparts and six of these would be in the upper casemates. Since the construction of the fort, additional gun emplacements had been added on the earth banks and these appear to have been constructed for the First World War and to have been strengthened during the Second World War. Originally there was a chemin des rondes as well as a covered way, but these have now disappeared. Surrounding the whole Fort is a dry gorge ditch with a base of natural chalk and massive brick or concrete walls on each side. Above these are sloping banks and the total height from the base of the ditch to the top of the banks is as much as 20m in places. Where the caponnieres project into the ditch, it is widened and taken around them and there are sally ports in the walls of the fort which are opposite brick staircases against the outer ditch wall. In the case of the central caponniere, there was a bridge across at this point. These entrances were presumably for scouting parties to enter and leave the fort without being seen. The ditch is a massive structure and the caponnieres are so sited that they can control the ditch in both directions. Beneath the road bridge are a series of re-entrant gun ports to prevent enemies from scaling the bridge piers and gaining access from that direction.

By the end of 1868 the fort was complete at a total cost of £88,053 although its guns and the racer tracks on which to mount them had not yet been fitted. The total capacity of the magazines, including the expense magazines in the Haxo casemates, the caponiers and the wing batteries, was 3,672 barrels of powder. By 1886 Fort Burgoyne was equipped with six 7inch Rifled Breech Loading guns (RBLs) seven 40 pounder RBLs, two 32 pounder smooth bore guns and, in the caponiers, sixteen 24 pounder carronades. It was proposed that these should be replaced with one fixed 5inch breech loader (BL) and one mobile, four 64 pounder Rifled Muzzle Loading guns (RMLs), fourteen 24 pounder carronades and four mobile 8inch RML howitzers. In addition these guns were to be supplemented by a machine gun. Aerial photographic records made on 26 June 1953 confirm the existence of ramps down to both East and West flank basement areas, from the Parade Ground. These are also shown dotted on the plan of the Fort prepared about 1933, but they have since been filled in to enlarge the Parade Ground.

Attached images: Plans of Fort Burgoyne in 1937 and 1878

[John]

A couple of aerial views of Burgoyne, part of a series taken on an overflight by the RAF.

[John]

http://www.youtube.com/v/9u5TnZbZQUk?rel=0"

[John]

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[John]

HC Deb 18 April 1887 vol 313 c1117

MR. NORRIS (Tower Hamlets, Limehouse)
asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether any further information has reacted him as to the sanitary condition of the barracks at Dover, contradictory of the statement contained in the Report of the Principal Medical Officer there and the Commanding Officer of the Royal Engineers, quoted by him on 8th February last, "that they had failed to discover any insanitary conditions;" whether the death of another young officer, Mr. Keegan, and the illness of a private soldier, are attributable to typhoid fever, contracted in the barracks; and, if so, whether he will cause immediate and searching inquiry to be made into all the facts of these cases, which follow so closely on the death of Lieutenant Jarrett, of the Buffs, from the same disease; and, if he will state whether complaints have reached him as to the insanitary condition of other barracks.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)
According to a report received this morning, careful investigation has failed to discover in Fort Burgoyne, where these cases of enteric fever unfortunately occurred, any insanitary conditions which will account for the disease; but a further minute inspection shall be made, and steps taken to remove immediately every possible source of disease to which any suspicion can attach. In answer to the third Question, we have received complaints from other barracks also; and we shall in every case, if the complaint appears to be well-founded, remedy it with the least possible delay.


Hansard, 17 May 1887 vol 315 cc250-1250

MR. PRESTON BRUCE (Fifeshire, W.)
asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether a "further minute inspection" has been made into the sanitary condition of Fort Burgoyne, at Dover, as promised by him; and, if so, with what result; whether troops have been quartered in these barracks since the cases of fever which occurred there recently; and, whether the 4th Brigade Royal Artillery (Fife Militia) are to be quartered in this fort in June and July?

THE SURVEYOR GENERAL OF ORDNANCE (Mr. NORTHCOTE) (Exeter)
(who replied) said: Examinations have been made, both by the Medical and Engineer Departments, without discovering any cause which will account for the recent cases of typhoid fever at Fort Burgoyne. Arrangements have, however, been made for an independent examination by an expert of the Local Government Board, which may, I hope, result in the discovery and removal of any insanitary condition. Three companies of the 2nd Battalion East Kent Regiment were quartered in the Fort until the 12th instant, when the battalion went to Lydd for training. It is intended, if there be no objection on the part of the Medical Department, to accommodate the 4th Brigade of the Scottish Division Royal Artillery in Fort Burgoyne, so far as its construction will permit, the remainder of the corps being encamped close at hand.


Hansard, 13 June 1887 vol 315 c17291729

MR. PEESTON BRUCE (Fifeshire, W.)
asked the Surveyor General of the Ordnance, Whether the expert of the Local Government Board has inspected Fort Burgoyne, with reference to the cases of typhoid fever which occurred there; whether he reports the sanitary condition of those barracks to be satisfactory, or as in need of improvement; and, whether it is still intended to quarter here, about the 23rd instant, a portion of the 4th Brigade Royal Artillery (Fife Militia)?

THE SURVEYOR GENERAL (Mr. NORTHCOTE) (Exeter)
The Report of the Inspector of the Local Government Board as to the sanitary condition of Fort Burgoyne has not yet reached me; but the General Officer at Dover has telegraphed that the Inspector is of opinion that the fort will be in a perfectly sanitary condition, providing certain small alterations are made. These can easily be effected before the 23rd instant; and, under these circumstances, the 4th Brigade, Scottish Division, Royal Artillery, will be moved there on that date.

[Kane]

Haha an awesome video of the place

Unfortunately my pics of Fort Burgoyne are on a deceased hard drive that I can't afford to have professionaly fixed atm Great to see it all again even with the fitting but somewhat dubious music

K

[John]

Some assorted shots from Fort Burgoyne, taken about 5 years ago.

[cliveh]

It's a shame this fort isn't opened to the public more often. 

cliveh

[John]

Newspaper cutting from the Dover Express - Friday 20 August 1937 - presumably the photo was taken at Fort Burgoyne..

[Man of Kent1]

I'm pretty certain this is the place I spent a weekend in the early '60's huddled over various radio sets during a NATO exercise in the Channel.  We erected a dipole in the area outside, used one of the casement buildings as our ops and had sleeping quarters in another, not that we got much sleep!
Unfortunately, no young WRACS could be persuaded to share our privations..........................