Several Paranormal events took place this month. We also had our first Caravan rally, which was very successful and enjoyed by all taking part. Our tours also ended at the end of this month for 2022.
The Fort now closes down for the winter period, it is when lots of our restoration work is undertaken by our fantastic volunteers and Community Payback team.
The fort was filled with cub scouts from 38th/40th Sea Scouts Troop, again on Friday 16th September. They undertook activities on the field and slept over in the casemates and finally had a delicious, cooked breakfast before having a tour of the Fort. They had a great time and hopefully will return for another visit.
Slough Fort have had an increased number of people attending our increased weekly tours this month.
We also held our 2nd Open Day which again was very successful.
We secured a grant from the Allhallows Parish Council for £900 this year to help purchase a new door for the Female Toilet in the Fort. Faversham Joinery built the door and frame and delivered it to us this month. It was fitted in time for the Open Day and Parish Council Clerk Chris Fribbins visited us to take a look and some pictures to feed back to the Parish Council. Many thanks to Allhallows Parish Council.
Kian managed to secure a grant from KCF Better Connected for approx. £4000. This will be spent on improved IT equipment, to improve our CCTV and connectivity on site, meaning we will be able to take card payments in the future. It also funded a new A3 printer so we can print our own posters and signs. Many thanks, it will be put to good use.
This month we took part in the Allhallows Village Fete. Our stall had lots of visitors, especially the younger generation. It was good to interact with the local community and share the progress we are making with the Fort.
We were also successful in securing another grant from Local Giving Little Magic Grant for £500 to help with the interpretation of the Guardroom and associated rooms. Thank you Local Giving.
June has been another busy month at the Fort. Firstly, we celebrated the Queens Platinum Jubilee, by lighting a beacon on top of the Fort with the help of our friends the Sheppey Pirates! A great evening was had by all.
We then had our first Open Day with a visit from local MP Kelly Tolhurst, who officially opening our restored Guardroom. The weather was kind to us and we were lucky to have lots of re-enactors on site, helping to bring the Fort to life and showing our visitors what things were like in times gone past. It was a very successful day.
We were also successful in securing a £3000 grant from Revive, from which we were able to purchase some picnic tables, a new till system, some display equipment and uniforms for children to dress up in on our Open Days. Thank you Revive.
We have had a busy month.
We are pleased to announce that we have secured a grant from The Skinner group for £700 to continue the restoration of the Guardroom and associated rooms.
Unfortunately. Some sad news at the Fort this month, as we have had a break in, by a group of youths with some damage being caused to the Gates at the top of the Fort. Luckily one of our volunteers Mark, was able to help us with repairs. Also Neal from JNP Technical came and installed some CCTV equipment to help with security on site. Thank you Mark and Neal.
Scaffolding made an appearance at the Fort and we have had our final 3 chimneys built for us by a local builder, Martin Bean.
The casemates were filled with 27th All Saints Scout and Explorer troops on 21st May, who camped over for the weekend. They had a great time, sleeping in the Fort.
Finally, Slough Fort welcomed some children from Peninsula East Primary Academy for a day of activities. They had a great day and learnt lots about the history of the Fort. Many thanks to Neil and Catharina for organising and running this day.
Lots has happened at Slough Fort over December – even over Christmas, there’s lots going on!
Sarah Scales, a local resident, very generously went on a sponsored run in aid of Slough Fort and the restoration works of the Slough Fort Preservation Trust and our Volunteers. Sarah managed to raise a staggering – and we are grateful for every penny! A massive Slough Fort thank you to Sarah for her fundraising work.
In other funding news, Slough Fort has been awarded £2,500 from Orchard Energy Charity Grants. These funds will go towards environmental works on the Slough Fort site, helping to integrate the restoration work we carry out with the local environment. Many thanks to all at Orchard Energy for supporting our project once again.
That’s all for December 2021 – from all at Slough Fort, we hope you all enjoy Christmas!
For more information on the goings-on at Slough Fort, and mew on some of our other developments, head over to the Slough Fort Facebook page, or check out our newsletter!
Hi everyone!
It’s definitely getting colder now, and in the words of everyone’s favourite Game of Thrones character, winter is coming. Even so, Slough Fort has still been busy this month!
Slough Fort is proud to have hosted the 50th Medway Towns Cubs for their annual Crazy Camping event. It was good fun for all, and the Cubs were able to experience unprecedented access to some local history, something that went down well with all involved!
Are you a member or representative of a Cubs/Scouts/Guides or similar group in Medway, or know someone that is? Looking for a location for a camp-out, or somewhere new to go? Head on over to our Contact Page and get in touch with us!
Not a member of one of the above groups, but want to visit Slough Fort? Head on over to our Guided Tours or Open Days pages on our site to see when we’re open!
If you would like to stay up to date with all the goings-on at Slough Fort, head on over to the Slough Fort Facebook page, or take a read of one of our newsletters here on our website.
Happy spooooooky October to all the Slough Fort supporters out there!
This month, we were honoured to provide the Slough Fort site to the Allhallows Village Halloween Party, an event organised for local children by residents Lee and Sarah Scales.
It was a spook-tacular success, with everyone, children and grownups alike, thoroughly enjoying themselves! Lots of scares, screams, and laughs, coupled with tonnes of tasty treats made for an amazing evening. We’d love to offer the Slough Fort site again for 2022 for a similar event again – watch this space for news!
Want to visit Slough Fort without the skeletons, ghosts and ghouls? Head on over to our Guided Tours and Open Day pages on our website to find out how!
Want to keep up to date on restoration progress at Slough Fort, but can’t make it to a tour or an open day? Head on over to the Slough Fort Facebook page, or take a read of one of our newsletters here on the website.
Hi everyone! The children are back at school, autumn is with us, and the leaves are starting to fall – and the Slough Fort Preservation Trust team is working hard as always!
Strood Scouts have visited us this month! The Scout troop came for a guided tour around the Slough Fort site one evening, and they loved it that much they plan to come back again next year for one of their camps – we can’t wait! Are you a member of a local Scouts troop, Guides group, Cadets group, or other local group, or know of one near you? Please head over to our Contact Us page and let us know – we’d love to have you on site!
In other news, restoration work in the Guardroom is progressing once more, this time thanks to a generous £1,000 grant from Medway Corporate Giving via the Kent Community Foundation. These funds will go towards reinstating some of the brickwork in the Guardroom, taking us one step closer to fully restoring yet another area of the Slough Fort site. Thank you very much to all at Medway Corporate Giving and the Kent Community Foundation for their generous support of our Project!
Would you like to see how our restoration works are taking shape? Head on over to the Guided Tours or Open Days pages here on our website to find a date that suites you.
Want to keep up to date with the works at Slough Fort, but can’t make a Tour or Open Day? Head on over to the Slough Fort Facebook page, or have a read of one of our newsletters here on the website!
Hi everyone – we hope you are all enjoying the sunshine!
This month we hosted one of our Open Days – and it was a great success as always!
We had a record number of visitors to Slough Fort, and every penny of the donations received will go right back in to helping restore Slough Fort to its former glory.
If you were able to attend, why not head over to our Facebook page and get in touch and let us know your thoughts? Weren’t able to attend, but want to come on one of our guided tours, or to one of our open days next year? Head over to the relevant pages here on our website to see the dates!
To find out more about the goings-on at Slough Fort, head over to the Slough Fort Facebook page, or take a read of one of our newsletters here on our website.
It’s been a busy two months up at Slough Fort – with lots of working taking place in the Guard Room!
We’ve been lucky enough to source two period-era doors from a local barracks that was due for demolition, and these are going to soon be installing into the Guard Room.
In the time being, work is full steam ahead getting the walls rebuild in the Guard Room, with thanks to our volunteer bricklayer!
Other works are carrying on around the Slough Fort site preparing and getting ready for when we can reopen to the public – which will be soon! For more details on when we will be reopening, head on over to our Tours page!
That’s all for now, but if you’d like to find out more about the activities that have taken place at Slough Fort over the last few months, head on over to our Facebook page – just search for ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’!
Over the last month, the Slough Fort Preservation Trust has been busy once again! Work is continuing on essential works around the site, including increasing security and works on the Fort’s drainage system. We’ve also got some really interesting news for you all!
Do you want to be a part of the history of Slough Fort? Well now you can, by simply buying a ticket for entry in a Time Capsule we are burying in the Guard Room for just £5 per entry (either individual or family).To do so, simply click here, or copy and paste the link below into your web browser:
www.ticketsource.co.uk/slough-fort-preservation-trust/t-mpljlm
That’s all for now, but if you’d like to find out more about the activities that have taken place at Slough Fort over the last few months, head on over to our Facebook page – just search for ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’!
It’s been a while since our last Blog update to you all, and we’re really sorry to all those who love to read it – our Trustee Team has spent every spare minute the last few months working hard at the Fort!
Lots of background work has continued all throughout Lockdown 2 and Lockdown 3, such as applying for lots of different grants, and pushing to complete some of our projects, as well as start some new ones!
As a quick summary for you all, here’s just a small snapshot of what’s gone on at Slough Fort since our last blog update in July 2020:
– Work to restore the Guard Room of the Main Fort has accelerated massively! We don’t want to spoil the surprise if you haven’t already seen the work that’s gone on, so if you’re yet to see, head on over to the Slough Fort Facebook page!
– Grants to expand and irrigate the Slough Fort Orchard were applied for and recieved! The Orchard has now almost tripled in size compared to what it was back in Summer 2020, and the irrigation project is just beginning to get off the ground (although there has been a major setback – more on this below)
– Slough Fort has been broken into! Just a few weeks ago, the Trustee Team awoke to the sad realisation that Slough Fort had been broken into overnight. Whilst we were lucky in the items that were not affected by the break-in, a number of key items required for our Irrigation Project, as well as a number of other projects and smaller jobs ongoing around the site, have either been delayed or put completely on hold due to the theft of crucial items.
Despite the horror of the break-in, the outpouring of support from the local community has been, quite honestly, amazing so far. We have had a number of individuals approach us from all walks of life, offering to help however they can. We are really greatful for any and all help we can get! If you think you might be able to help us at all, in any way, please do head on over to our Contact page to get in touch with the Trustee Team.
Whilst we were all hoping to be able to welcome visitors back to site, we all knew deep down that it was a bit optimistic – but all of our Trustee and Volunteer Teams are working hard to keep Slough Fort ready and waiting for you all as soon as it’s safe to reopen our gates once more.
That’s all for now, but if you’d like to find out more about the activities that have taken place at Slough Fort over the last few months, head on over to our Facebook page – just search for ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’!
Welcome to our new website!
Our Trustee Team have been working hard alongside Shopblocks to bring you our brand new, streamlined website – what do you think?
The Trustees have also been working hard in the background to keep the Slough Fort Preservation Trust up and running, and keep the Slough Fort site ready and waiting for when we can have you all back.
While there are no immediate plans to reopen Slough Fort yet, the Trust is always keeping an eye on the UK Government guidance for when we might be able to – keep an eye on our Facebook page, ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’, for more!
We hope to welcome you all back to Slough Fort as soon as we can, and we hope you are all as excited to soon be back as we are to have you!
During these troubling times, the Slough Fort Preservation Trust hopes to keep a smile on your face and an appetite for Slough Fort and local history!
On our Facebook page we have been running a Throwback Thursday and a Flashback Friday every week for the last few weeks with old photos to showcase and celebrate all the hard work our Volunteers do for us!
Without our Volunteers, Slough Fort would not be anywhere close to the condition it is in today. A big Slough Fort thank you to all our Volunteers!
If you would like to join our Volunteer Team in the future, please use the contact form on the Volunteering page here on our website.
We will keep working hard in the background to keep Slough Fort ready and waiting for when this all eventually blows over.
Keep yourselves safe and well, and we hope to see you all back at Slough Fort as soon as we can.
While there has been a stop on our Volunteer Work Days, the Slough Fort Trustee Team have been hard at work in the background with some of the essential work that is needed to keep the Slough Fort Preservation Trust up and running, such as applying for grants and building professional relationships with other organisations similar to ourselves – just because we’re at home, doesn’t mean the responsibility stops!
Over the last month, the Trustees have been conducting basic upkeep of the Slough Fort site – mainly ensuring everything is safe and keeping on top of the grass cutting, while maintaining social distancing and following Government guidance.
We will keep working hard in the background to keep Slough Fort ready and waiting for when this all eventually blows over.
Keep yourselves safe and well, and we hope to see you all back at Slough Fort as soon as we can.
Unfortunately I have some sad news today… Slough Fort will be closing its doors until further notice in response to recent UK Government guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak. Below is a statement from the Trustees of the Slough Fort Preservation Trust…
“It is with regret that following the most recent developments and in line with the UK Government recommendations, the Trustees of the Slough Fort Preservation Trust have taken the decision to postpone all events held at Slough Fort until further notice to help safeguard the public, our Volunteer Team, and our Trustee Team.
All Volunteer Workdays, Tours and other events such as our Easter Open Day, VE Day celebrations and other events will be suspended with immediate effect.
Our decision will be reviewed at regluar intervals and we will keep everyone informed as best we can via email (to sign up to emails, please head over to our Volunteering page), our social media accounts, and here on our website.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Volunteers for their continued support and our thoughts are with all our Volunteers, supporters and the general public during this worrying time.
Please stay safe and take care, and we hope to see you all back at Slough Fort soon.”
Our 12-Pounder gun has returned to Slough Fort!
The gun was sent off for specialised restoration and repair work back in June 2019, and was returned to site earlier this month. After months of hard work, the 12-Pounder is almost ready to be moved to its final position – on top of the Central Fort.
Some of the work that had to be carried out included the fabrication of a new base and the creation of a shield similiar to the one that the gun’s original crew would have had. As well as this, the gun now pivots, too! As you can see in the photo, the gun has been painted in a protective coating of red oxide.
All that is left to do now is paint the 12-Pounder with its final coat of paint and lift it in to position – both things we hope to have completed well in advance of Slough Fort opening to visitors again in April.
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
Big news this month!
Thanks to Marshalls CPM, we have had a large concrete pipe fabricated and adjusted to our needs to allow us to built our very own Tett Turret.
In the photo above is one of our Trustees, Neil, alongside the Marshalls CPM Production Manager at their site in the South West. A big Slough Fort thank you to all involved at Marshalls!
As well as this, our Volunteers have been working hard applying limewash to the East Wing Battery. This is a very messy job, but is an essential one to keep the Wing Battery in a good condition.
Limewash is a lime and water mix that is very runny – meaning that not only do the walls and ceilings get covered, but our poor Volunteers do, too! Luckily, all our Volunteers have been provided with goggles, masks and overalls to stop their clothes being ruined.
We can’t wait to have you all back later this year!
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
This month we held our first Community Heritage Walk!
50 poeple, led by a number of hte Slough Fort Preservation Trust’s Volunteers and Trustee Team, walked across the Allhallows marshes on a very sunny day. Although it was very muddy, the Community Heritage Walk went well, with walkers having carried out a four mile loop around Allhallows – with the Slough Fort Preservation Trust’s very own Chairman, Keith, giving talks at points of interest along the way.
We hope to run more of these Community Heritage Walks in future, so keep an eye out!
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
The Slough Fort Preservation Trust has been rather busy since last month!
Following permission from Historic England to open up one section of the Central Fort glacis and a successful grant application to Veolia, work has begun to remove approximately 600 cubic meters of earth from the northern face of the Central Fort. This work has answered some long-running questions, while raising some new ones, too!
Nonetheless, it has been interesting and exciting to see the work unfold, as well as see parts of Slough Fort that have not seen the light of day since the 1890’s. While there is still a lot of work to be carried out before this project is complete and ready for when Slough Fort reopens to the public in April 2020, we are very excited to see what other new information we might be able to uncover in the coming weeks.
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
Within the last month, two major works have begun at Slough Fort – the addition of a number of chimneys, and the installation of safety railings around the site.
The chimneys, as can be seen in the photo, are of a period design for when Slough Fort was built in the 1800’s. Orbit Housing kindly provided the Slough Fort Preservation Trust with some highly skilled bricklayers to carry out the installation works. Victorian-era chimney pots have also been sourced, and we hope to have these installed soon.
As well as our work with the chimneys, we have been working hard to make the Slough Fort site a safer place for all our Volunteers, Trustee Team and our visitors alike. Part of this has involved the installation of large amounts of safety railings across the site – in particular on the roof of the Central Fort and on top of the East Wing Battery. This is an ongoing project between the Slough Fort Preservation Trust and National Grid – Grain LNG.
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
The last two months have been very busy indeed up at Slough Fort!
All the Slough Fort team has worked hard to install the windows and doors in the East Wing Battery. These were kindly made fo us by the team at Faversham Joinery, and paid for with a grant from the Rochester Bridge Trust.
As you can see in the photo, they are not only installed but painted too! As well as working on the windows and doors, our Volunteers and Trustees have begun the long and tedious project of replacing the lathe and plaster ceilings in the Officer’s Kitchen, the Guard Room, and the Officer’s W/C.
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
This month we have had an interesting delivery to Slough Fort – the windows and doors that will eventually be installed in the East Wing Battery!
Kindly made for us by the team at Faversham Joinery and funded by a grant from the Rochester Bridge Trust, the six windows and two pairs of doors will allow us to weather-proof the Wing Battery properly and remove the temporary Perspex sheeting.
We hope to have this installed as soon as possible to allow the windows and doors to settle in to place nicely before the winter.
For more information about some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
So much as happened over the 2018/2019 Winter months its hard to sum it all up in one post!
We now have two Green Goddess fire engines and a Command Unit being stored at Slough Fort, and these as well as historic Fire Service memorabilia will be available for viewing by visitors to Slough Fort on our Sunday Tours.
However, quite possibly the most exciting thing has been the aquisition of the 12-Pounder gun shown above! This is the kind of weapon that would have been mounted on the roof of the Central Fort during the Second World War
Our Volunteers are now going to begin the painstaking task of restoring and repairing the gun before it ultimately takes pride of place looking out over the Thames Estuary.
For more information about some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
This month Slough Fort hosted its July Open Day – and it went superbly well! All the tours around the site were full to bursting, and a number of new Volunteers have signed up, too!
We also had appearances from the Portislow Artillery Volunteers (pictured), some original Model T Ford’s. and an original World War Two Jeep, amongst many other things. We plan on having another Open Day in August – why not pop down and see what other attractions we will have?
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
The Slough Fort Preservation Trust is pleased to announce its participation in the Medway Time Credits scheme. All our Volunteers can now earn Time Credits for their time spent volunteering up at Slough Fort.
These can be used at a number of attractions not only in Medway but also in London and other selected parts of the country. To coincide with this, the Trust will now begin to accept Time Credits as a form of payment for admission on our Sunday Tours, at a cost of two Credits per tour.
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
Over the last month, the 1902 recreation building has been stripped out of everything modern. Once the false ceiling has been removed the plan is to turn it in to a Reception/Visitor Centre.
Alongside the 1902 recreation building works, the stables are in the process of being removed from the Courtyard area of the Fort.
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
The Slough Fort Preservation Trust has been busy this winter!
A brand new leaflet has been produced and printed, and this has been distributed to a number of locations to help promote the Fort, as well as new signage across Allhallows Lesiure Park and beyond! In the photo you can see just one example of our many different signs – why not see how many you can spot!
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
Leading on from last month, the Slough Fort Preservation Trust has continued to work in Casemates Four and Five of the Central Fort, with even more finds being discovered! Some of the finds include an empty Drene shampoo bottle, a Charles Kinloch spirit bottle, and an empty Brooke Bonds Camp Coffee jar, amongst other things.
While working away in the Casemates, the Slough Fort Preservation Trust has also been successful in getting a grant in from Comic Relief. This will go towards a number of things, such as safety equipment and insurance costs, as well as other things. As well as the Comic Relief grant, the Trust has been successful in achieving a grant from Involving Medway. This will go towards setting up a Community Skills Workshop.
The workshop is funded by an itiative run by the Medway Clinical Commissioning Group designed to encourage people to get involved with and help make decisions about health provision in the area. The aim is to help the residents to lead healthier, happier lives through improved participation in their community.
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
Over the last month, the Slough Fort Preservation Trust has recieved lots of good news!
Firstly, we have officially gained Charitable Status, meaning that we can start to expand towards getting some major projects underway. Secondly, a date has been set for our very first Annual General Meeting on the 23rd November – all are welcome to attend.
Thirdly, the Trust has recieved a large grant towards the creation of educational and informational leaflets and other promotional pieces, so keep an eye out for some Slough Fort signs soon! Finally, we have also kindly been donated a shipping container, which will allow us to safely store our equipment.
It’s been a busy month – but with what we have planned, the next few months will be just as busy. Watch this space!
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
Work this month has started in Casemates Four and Five of the Central Fort, with all the modern flooring being removed and taken down to its original level.
A number of finds were discovered during this, including a popcorn packet in the upper level dated ‘Best Before December 1998’, a Jiffi Jelly packet (a product that was launched in the UK in 1956), and an empty Daddies Sauce bottle, amongst other things.
We hope to continue our work in Casemates Four and Five, so watch this space for more info!
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
We’ve been busy at the fort since last month! This month we hosted our very first Slough Fort Open Day – and it was a huge succes! We had a number of militaria attractions, including military vehicles from both the First and Second World Wars, as well as re-enactors dressed as soldiers from 1745 (see photo), and World War Two re-enactors.
The day seems to have been a resounding success! We hope to and plan to run more Open Days like this in the future.
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
This month, the Slough Fort Preservation Trust attended the Allhallows Village Fete!
The Trustees manned a stall packed with information and finds from the Fort. The public was able to find out about the history of Slough Fort, discover what the Trust was setting out to do, and how to become a Volunteer. The stall was very popular, with a great interest in our finds and our replica firearms.
For more information on some of the smaller developments at Slough Fort, as well as information on some of our upcoming events, search ‘Slough Fort Preservation Trust’ on Facebook.
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