Region: South East
Fort Burgoyne was acquired by the Land Trust early in 2014, with plans to restore this unique site and open it to the public for the first time in its history. Fort Burgoyne will be a welcome addition to the community and visitor attractions in Dover and beyond.
Fort Burgoyne Road, Guston, Dover, Kent, CT15 5LP
Site size: 43 hectares
There is no public access to Fort Burgoyne
The Fort was built in the 1860s, to protect Dover Castle, and was used to defend the South coast in numerous wars. The Fort was used for military use as recently as 2006, and has since had many question marks over its future, including 500 homes and holiday lets.
Originally called ‘Castle Hill Fort’, Fort Burgoyne was one of the Palmerston Forts, built across the Southern coast of Britain to defend its shores against invasion. The polygonal system, on which the building is built, was used to defend and watch from the highest strategic point in Dover. The Fort was renamed after a 19th Century General; John Fox-Burgoyne, who was Inspector-General of Fortifications and son of the John Burgoyne, who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
Since military work ceased at the site in 2006; there have been several planning applications made; including one for an open prison and one for 500 new homes. However, these plans did not aim to restore Fort Burgoyne or develop it for the use of the wider community and visitors to the Dover region.
Since then, The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has handed over the 42-hectares of land to the Land Trust, along with an endowment, of which half will be used to restore the site and half to maintain it in future years.
Many areas of this historic and geographically unique site are currently overgrown, but the plans are to open it up and make it accessible for the community and visitors to enjoy.
The plans for Fort Burgoyne are still in the early stages. The underlying principle of all planning is that the site is there for community use as much as possible; to provide sustainable long-term solutions for land in order to benefit local people. At Fort Burgoyne, we aim to bring communities together to enable them to experience the benefits of outdoor spaces.
To contact the Land Trust about this site or how we could help manage your space please email our Fort Burgoyne Heritage Project Manager Chris Valdus or call 01925 852005.
To enquire about holding an event on a Land Trust site, please click here.
Download Fort Burgoyne Case Study Download Fort Burgoyne Recreation Ground (1 mile/1.6 km)
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