A navy historical past professional has shared the shocking previous a hilltop fort which was constructed to defend London from a French invasion that by no means got here
The Device Retailer at Reigate Fort, Surrey (Picture: UCG/Common Photos Group by way of Getty Photos) This text incorporates affiliate hyperlinks, we’ll obtain a fee on any gross sales we generate from it. Study extra
The UK is stuffed with stunning locations to discover, however one under-appreciated location offers each breathtaking surroundings and an unimaginable glimpse into the previous. A navy historian not too long ago visited the positioning and revealed the exceptional story behind its building.
Navy historical past professional Dr Jen Howe shared the story of Reigate Fort on Instagram. At present owned by the Nationwide Belief, the fort was constructed atop Reigate Hill in Surrey in 1898, and the rationale it was constructed is really extraordinary. In accordance with the Nationwide Belief, which manages the positioning, the fort was established to defend in opposition to a attainable French invasion as a part of the London Defence scheme, a 72-mile chain of defences consisting of 13 navy installations meant to safeguard the capital.
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Reigate Fort was in-built 1898 (Picture: Ian Capper/Reigate Fort/WikiCommons)
Alongside storing tools and ammunition, preparations have been additionally made to excavate huge trenches to maintain invading forces at bay from London.
Starting her Instagram slideshow, Dr Howe stated: “POV: You stumble right into a world of forgotten navy historical past simply 30 minutes from London.” Detailing the historical past of Reigate Fort, she stated: “Constructed within the late Nineties to defend London from a French invasion that by no means truly got here. These buildings held shovels and weapons, able to construct one enormous trench round London…”
The Nationwide Belief defined that, by 1906, it was concluded that the British Navy possessed adequate energy to repel any potential invasion, and Reigate Fort was decommissioned. It was offered off the next yr. In 1972, it and the opposite mobilisation centres have been designated as Scheduled Historical Monuments by English Heritage in recognition of their significance to British navy historical past. The location is open to guests every single day, experiences Surrey Dwell.
Those that go to can view two units of gates — the primary being metal and spiked, whereas the second are heavier and bulletproof. The software retailer and the journal — the place munitions and explosives have been stored — are additionally accessible, together with the underground casemates, which might have served each as storage services and as shelter from enemy bombardment.
Dr Howe additionally drew consideration to a close-by memorial devoted to 9 US airmen, who died when the B-17 Flying Fortress they have been aboard crashed on Reigate Hill in March 1945. “A couple of metres on and you will find a tragic web site,” she stated.
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“On March 19, 1945, 9 US airmen have been coming house from Germany when their aircraft went down in a thick cloud. None of them made it.
“That they had a median age of 21. The oak wing ideas laid out are the precise distance of the plane’s ideas, and a haunting reminder of what fell right here.”
In accordance with the Nationwide Belief, the memorial sculpture was crafted by Surrey artist Roger Day, and was unveiled on the seventieth anniversary of the crash. Each parts of the memorial are carved from historical Surrey oak, positioned on the identical distance aside because the plane’s wingtips, with steel recovered from the crash web site integrated inside the sculpture.
Dr Howe additionally drew consideration to a different close by constructing. “Simply past and you will find a mysterious WW2 construction,” she stated. “Even historians aren’t too certain what it was used for.”
Within the caption accompanying her submit, she wrote: “40 minutes from London there is a stretch of the North Downs the place, within the house of a single stroll, you cross a Victorian fort constructed to guard London from a French invasion that by no means got here, a mysterious WW2 construction, a clearing the place a US bomber crew have been killed on their thirteenth mission collectively, and a WW2 coaching floor.
“Reigate is a genuinely stunning stroll, with vast open chalk downland, extraordinary views, historical woodland. However the hidden navy historical past provides a lot to this place. It’s possible you’ll not even discover this stuff in case you did not know the place to look!”
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