Fort Amherst

The necessity to protect Chatham Dockyard became evident after a raid by the Dutch fleet in 1667. Initial defense plans emerged in 1708, and land was acquired. Following a survey in 1715, several bastions and ditches were built starting in 1755, which became known as the Chatham Lines. Captain John Peter Desmaretze designed the fortifications, consisting of a nine-meter-wide earth ditch and a three-meter-high parapet. During the American Revolutionary War, the lines were strengthened, and the Amherst and Townsend Redoubts were developed as key defensive points. Fort Amherst evolved from the Amherst Redoubt. During construction in 1779, workers discovered Roman foundations and artifacts, including bricks, tiles, and coins. In the Napoleonic Wars, the defenses were expanded and reinforced with additional batteries and brick-lined ditches. Between 1802 and 1811, convicts worked on extending the tunnels and creating underground stores and shelters.