Coalhouse Fort was built in the 1860s to guard the lower Thames from attack. The fort was equipped with a variety of large-calibre artillery guns and the most modern defensive facilities of the time. Decommissioned in 1949, the fort was used as a storehouse for a shoe factory before it was purchased by the local council. Since 1985 it has been leased to a voluntary preservation group, the Coalhouse Fort Project, which has been working to restore the fort. The group voted to cease operations in 2020.
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