Fort Amherst Guide Book
FORT AMHERST VISITOR GUIDE Discover Britain’s biggest and best preserved Napoleonic fort BRITAIN’S HISTORY REDISCOVERED fortamherst.com 1 FORT AMHERST: WHY IS IT HERE? Fort Amherst’s main purpose was to defend Chatham Dockyard from a landward attack by an invading army. With nearly two miles of ramparts, Welcome to gun positions, barracks and underground works, it was a formidable obstacle. Its secondary role Fort Amherst was to protect the approach to London against an invading army by providing a strong point behind DEFENDING MEDWAY WITH PRIDE the enemy’s line of attack. It may be hard to believe now, but for its time, it boasted some of the best defence technology in the world. Rochester from Chatham 1832. Watercolour by Joseph Milford William Turner 2 3 BRITAIN’S BIGGEST AND BEST PRESERVED NAPOLEONIC FORT GLOSSARY Soldiers at Fort Amherst spoke these words; some are still heard today! How many do you know? If you see a word in red, you will find it listed here. • Armoury: a place where weapons are kept. • Loopholes: narrow holes through which soldiers could look for enemies, or fire their • Artillery: large guns, mounted on carriages weapons. or sledges. Also the name for the part of the army that uses those guns. • Magazine: gunpowder store. • Battery: two or more big guns, used by the • Musket: a smooth bore gun with military, in the same place. Also the name of a long barrel, fired using a flintlock mechanism. the part of the army that uses those guns. • Ordnance: military material, for example • Calibre: the width of the inside weapons, ammunition, vehicles and of a gun’s barrel.
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