Henley Fort
Building in Surrey, United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henley Fort is a Victorian fort near Guildford, Surrey, at the eastern end of the 'Hog's Back' ridge.
| Henley Fort | |
|---|---|
 The view across Guildford from Henley Fort | |
  Location within Surrey | |
| General information | |
| Location | Henley Fort Outdoor Education Centre, The Mount, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 4RH, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°13′50″N 0°35′49″W |
| Owner | Surrey Outdoor Learning & Development |
| Website | |
| Henley Fort | |
History
Henley Fort was built as a mobilisation centre[1] during the 1880-90s as part of the London Defence Positions. Its purpose was to protect the capital from the French army.[2] Initially, construction was rapid due to the invasion threat, but slowed as that threat passed.[citation needed]
It is the most westerly fort of a 17-mile chain that would have formed a secondary line of defence between the South coast and London.[2] It was never used as a fort in the conventional sense,[3] having neither the men or the munitions to garrison it, and was instead used to train volunteers and as a monthly meeting place for the volunteers who manned it.[4]
Ammunition was also created on site,[citation needed] and the fort was constructed using chalk in order to prevent gunpowder from detonating in the event of the fort being bombed.[citation needed]
During the Second World War, Henley Fort was used for defence purposes by the Home Guard.
In the 1950s it was used as a camp for local schools.[5] Each school could attend for two weeks each year for walks around Surrey.
Present
Today the fort is an educational centre run by Surrey Outdoor Learning & Development,[6] and as such hosts groups of all types wanting an outdoor learning experience.
