Thames Defence Heritage Gravesend

14/07/2024

This morning the volunteers have been painting the guns and emptying the dehumidifier & checking the tunnels before they open for visitors at midday.

Just a reminder, the tunnels & magazines of the New Tavern Fort and the Chantry Heritage Centre are open every Saturday and Sunday afternoon until the end of September.

Please come along and support this piece of local history.

If you wish to get involved as a volunteer please contact us.

07/07/2024

Over the last couple of weeks, our dedicated volunteers have been working to assemble the gun carriage outside the entrance to the magazines of the New Tavern Fort.

The first two pictures show it in place at the moment and the rest show the team moving this in place.

Once this is complete we have the more difficult task of getting the barrel in place on the carriage.

26/06/2024

A new addition to the Fort, which the team have been working on for about a year in the workshop.

09/06/2024

If you have visited the Chantry Heritage Centre over the last ten years plus there is a good chance you have met Pat and Mario.

They are now leaving the county of Kent for a new adventure. We wish them all the best from everyone at Thames Defence Heritage ❤️

We now have the task of filling the space left by them.....🤔

09/06/2024

Another Sunday morning at the New Tavern Fort.
Some of the volunteers are painting and tidying up the displays.
Also included are a couple of pictures of the wonderful work on the gun carriage by the 'tuesday team'.
Hopefully we will be able to assemble this with the gun outside the entrance to the magazines in the coming months.

02/06/2024

Sunday morning at the New Tavern Fort includes painting and litter picking, before the tunnels open for visitors at midday.

27/05/2024

26/05/2024

Just a reminder that as it's Bank holiday weekend, the tunnels of the New Tavern Fort and the Chantry Heritage centre will additionally be open on Monday from midday until 5pm with last entry at 4.30pm.

We are of course open today, Sunday, as normal.

19/05/2024

06/05/2024

Open again today as it's Bank Holiday Monday.
Midday until 5pm.
The Chantry Heritage centre is also open at the same time.

05/05/2024

The tunnels of the New Tavern Fort open today (Sunday) and tomorrow, Bank Holiday Monday from midday until 5pm.

Entry is just £1 person, last admission at 4.30pm.

28/04/2024

This morning we had a group visit from Istead Rise WI.
We hope you enjoyed your guided tour around the New Tavern Fort and the Chantry.

These are now open for visitors this afternoon and again next weekend including the Bank Holiday Monday. Midday to 5pm.

14/04/2024

The New Tavern Fort tunnels and the Chantry Heritage Centre are open midday until 5pm today.

They will be open again Saturday and Sunday afternoon next weekend.

07/04/2024

Volunteers are working on keeping the site clean and tidy again this morning.

Tunnels open for visitors at midday until 5pm.

06/04/2024

Open from midday Saturday and Sunday...

01/04/2024

New Tavern Fort tunnels, located in Fort Gardens, Gravesend, open again today.

Midday until 5pm with last entry at 4.30pm.

£1 per person

31/03/2024

Happy Easter to all our Facebook friends.

This morning some of the volunteers are busy fixing and tidying other parts of the New Tavern Fort.

The tunnels and the Chantry will be open for visitors from midday.

30/03/2024

Open from midday today...
Also open on Easter Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday.

29/03/2024

The tunnels of the New Tavern Fort and the Chantry Heritage Centre, both located in Fort Gardens, reopen for visitors on Easter Saturday at midday.

We are open on Saturday, Sunday and Monday over the Easter weekend from midday until 5pm, with last entry at 4.30pm.

The tunnels cost just £1 per person and the Chantry is free.

24/03/2024

Over the last few weeks the volunteers have been cleaning back through the tunnels leaving just the reception area and our information room to be finished off this weekend.

The tunnels will reopen for visitors on Easter Saturday at midday.

We will then be open on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays until the end of September.
Please come along and visit, and help us spread the word. Thank you.

23/03/2024

New Tavern Fort and Chantry Heritage centre reopen for visitors on Easter Saturday

06/03/2024

Today we have had some special visitors to the New Tavern Fort and Gravesend Cold War Bunker.
Sarah, James, Chris and Chelsey from the Peter Ashley Activities Centre at Fort Widley and Fort Purbrook.

It was a fantastic day of swapping information and ideas about Forts and Bunkers.

We are glad you enjoyed your day with us, it was a pleasure to show you around the sites.

03/03/2024

Some of the volunteers getting the Chantry Heritage Centre cleaned and tidied, ready for reopening on Easter Saturday at midday .

At the same time, Easter Saturday, the magazines & tunnels of the New Tavern Fort will also reopen for visitors.

25/02/2024

This morning the volunteers have been continuing to get the displays back together within the tunnels.

We will reopen for visitors on Easter Saturday. We will also be open Easter Sunday and Easter Monday from midday until 5pm, with last admission at 4.30pm.

After that we will be open every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday until the end of September

Please come along and visit. Entry into the tunnels is just £1 per person.

23/02/2024

Some of the ongoing work to complete renovation of the displays in the tunnels before we reopen for visitors.

11/02/2024

The work continues to put the Spotting Telescope display back together.
The other pictures show cleaning and renovation of some of the other displays within the tunnels of the New Tavern Fort.

03/02/2024

As well as our major reconstruction of the Spotting Telescope display, there are also smaller scale repairs and cleaning of the other displays within the tunnels.

28/01/2024

Some pictures from today showing the wonderful work by our volunteers to completely recreate the Spotting Telescope display.