Post by krisphantomnights on Oct 31, 2011 17:39:13 GMT -5
ENTER THE DARKNESS, FEEL THE FEAR
FORT HORSTED
PUBLIC PARANORMAL GHOST HUNT EVENT!
Saturday 26th May 2012
Why not join the Phantom Nights Paranormal Team and Psychic Medium Adrian Fuller at one of the Most Haunted
Former Forts in the UK! The Fort has many paranormal and ghostly activity on a very regular basis including reports
of a Demon that lurks around in one of these dark corridors!
This is your chance to help try un cover whom or what maybe haunting those dark corridors and rooms. Come and join in on our
Public Paranormal Investigation of this amazing location!
Fort Horsted
Chatham, Kent
Public Paranormal Ghost Hunt
Saturday 26th May 2012
Event Starts: 8.45pm
Event Finishes 2am
SAVE £10 IF YOU BOOK NOW!!
Was £49 Per Person
NOW ONLY £39 Per Person!!
SECURE YOUR PLACE FOR JUST £10
And pay NOTHING else until 19th March 2012!
HISTORY
During the mid 1800s there was considerable alarm in the United Kingdom generated by the territorial ambitions of Emperor Napoleon III of France, a traditional enemy, and the growing power of imperial Germany. The threat was so great that a Royal Commission was set up in 1859 to review UK defences and report its findings to parliament, which it did in 1860.
One of its recommendations was the construction of five forts to provide defence to Chatham’s Eastern flank and the strategically important Chatham dockyard where the new iron-clad warships were to be constructed. The forts were: Darland, Twydall, Luton, Horsted and Bridgewoods. Military opinion on the usefulness of fixed fortifications was divided possibly leading to the forts becoming known as Palmerston’s follies after the Prime Minister of the day Lord Palmerston.
Construction
Work started on Fort Horsted, named after Horsa a saxon king and by far the largest of the five, in 1880 using a convict labour force from the newly constructed Borstal prison and supervised by the Royal Engineers. The central tunnel and casemates were the first features to be constructed using bricks laid on timber formers and then covered in concrete to a depth of several metres. If you look at the roof of the main tunnel you can see the impression left by the timber formers. The last feature was the thirty foot deep dry moat that completely encircles the Fort. The chalk and flint from this major excavation was piled on top of the concrete to provide further protection from bombardment. By 1889 the work on the Fort had been completed and its role of providing a garrison, munitions store and water supply top up to Forts Luton and Bridgewoods began.
Armoury
Constructed in the shape of a six sided arrow head, with each flank protected by machines guns in the counterscarp galleries, the Fort would have been home to a garrison of approximately 400 men and women. Although never permanently so, a fort of this size would have been armed with:
Eight 8” Howitzers on recoilless carriages
Four 6.6” Howitzers
Twelve 20-pounder rifled breech loading guns
Thirteen 64-pounder rifled muzzle loading guns
Twelve 32-pounder smooth bore breech loading guns
The guns would have been supplied from ten expense magazines spread around the Fort equipped with hoists feeding munitions to the serving rooms directly above. Most of the guns were movable and could be deployed anywhere around or outside the Fort it enabling a field of fire to protect Chatham’s entire Eastern flank. The style of warfare at the time was for high angle artillery shells to be fired at targets from long range (one to three miles) while close quarter combat relied on sappers digging tunnels under defences and setting off mines. Fort Horsted lies approximately three miles away from the principle target of Chatham dockyard meaning invaders would have to get through the ring to attack the target.
Attacked!
The ring of Forts was put to the test on the 1st July 1907 when 2500 officers and men (the blue army) attacked a much smaller force of 1000 defenders (the red army) to take the dockyard. Since this was a peacetime operation, no shots or artillery were exchanged and both armies relied on the traditional methods of mining, countermining and explosives. The red army concentrated on attacking Forts Luton and Bridgewoods both of which had ‘fallen’ by August 2nd, proving that the Forts were not impregnable but could severely delay an attacking force.
WWI & WWII
For the next 60 years the Fort remained in military hands with a small garrison from the Royal Ordnance Corps and latterly the Royal Artillery in continuous occupation. Although much of their activities during this time is still covered by the official secrets act it is known that the Fort was used to manufacture and store ammunition.
During WWII a light anti-aircraft emplacement comprising 3.7” and Bofors guns were installed and controlled from Fort Luton. On the 15th September 1940, at the height of the Battle for Britain, an observer reported sighting six enemy aircraft being shot down in a 20 minute period. By the early sixties, however, the military no longer had any use for Fort Horsted and it was sold for £10,000 to a development company in 1963.
The unloved years
During the next 34 years the Fort had a variety of owners and tenants including Kent County Council, Ford UK, Boxwell Developments, the Biber Group, The Rootes Group, the Rochester Motor Company and Fort Tyres. Milestone dates were 1972 and 1976. In 1972 an application was made to demolish the Fort and build 120 private homes. A two day public enquiry was held and Geoffrey Rippon, Secretary of State for the Environment, stated that Fort Horsted was an ancient monument of great local interest and the application was denied.
By 1976 the Fort was owned by All Tyres or Fort Tyres a company registered in Germany that ran a number of businesses one of which was tyre remoulding. At some point an estimated 100,000 tyres were dumped on top of the site, in the tunnels and completely filled the moat.
The great fire
At midday on Wednesday July 7th 1976 an enormous fire broke out, probably as a result of a grass fire and burned for weeks. At the peak of the blaze over 50 fire fighters were on the scene, traffic diverted and the local college evacuated. After the blaze, the owners continued trading but the gradual decline of the Fort accelerated. Vegetation was allowed to grow unchecked throughout the site, units fell into disrepair, car breaking businesses moved in and the Fort became a regular haunt for the local constabulary seeking information on missing vehicles.
Rescue
By the early 1990s the Fort was all but deserted, derelict and in much need of attention. English Heritage and the Environment Agency issued an enforcement notice on the legal owners with a £1,000,000 liability to clear up the site and remove all the tyres. Instead, the owners put up the Fort for auction and it was bought by Avondale Environmental Services Ltd in 1997.
Having decided that the future for this historic monument lay in it being able to sustain itself in terms of income generation and investment, a business plan was put to English Heritage and the Environment Agency to not only clear the site but also to develop it into small business units. By staying within government guidelines for the restoration and renovation of historic sites and keeping all works in character, English Heritage relaxed its normally strict rules and considered relatively modern proposals.
English Heritage continued to support Avondale during the next four years as it cleared the tyres and put the Fort back to a habitable condition. Avondale was finally able to occupy the Fort in August 2001 and begin the next chapter in its long life.
FORT HORSTED GHOSTS
A Large black shaggy dog wandering around the numerous tunnels
The voice of a little girl has been recorded by visitors
Dark Shadowy figures witnessed in the abandoned tunnels
Areas so frightening security guards and guests refuse to go to!
A negative energy said to make visitors feel rather uncomfortable, nervous and feeling very sickly !
A Demon has also been reported
The ghosts of a mother and her young child has been seen walking the grounds wearing very old clothing!
FURTHER INFORMATION
EVENT INSTRUCTIONS
If you would like to join us on this event you can do by either paying in full or paying an £10 deposit to secure your spot on this amazing event Payments can be made through PayPal but we do also accept cheques. To pay by cheque please contact us here
The night will begin with a location tour, you will then be given the opportunity to participate in a number of vigils, and paranormal experiments including the usage of paranormal investigation equipment as used by our experienced paranormal team on a regular basis. You will be accompanied by our experienced paranormal team and psychic medium. We aim to provide guests with the equipment and knowledge and give them the opportunity to pursue the parts of paranormal investigating that interests them most.
Participation is always optional, no one will ever be forced or pressured to do anything.
Please read our terms and conditions before considering attending an event.
Event Instructions
The event will begin at 8.45pm.
Please be on location and ready to begin by this time.
Unfortunately we are unable to let any guests in before this time. Please remember to bring your ticket or confirmation number, and some form of ID if you could be mistaken for being under the age of 18. Upon arriving a Phantom Nights staff member will be there to greet you and give you further instructions. Please remember to bring warm clothes, and a torch. Food and drinks will be available to buy, but the areas in which they may be consumed may be restricted.
Please note this event requires you to be awake all night, there are no sleeping facilities available.
Event Address
Fort Horsted Business Centre
Primrose Close, Chatham, UK ME4 6HZ
[Please note - Tickets cannot be booked through the location directly, all bookings must be made through Phantom Nights.]
© 2011 Phantom Nights Ltd - All Rights Reserved
FORT HORSTED
PUBLIC PARANORMAL GHOST HUNT EVENT!
Saturday 26th May 2012
Why not join the Phantom Nights Paranormal Team and Psychic Medium Adrian Fuller at one of the Most Haunted
Former Forts in the UK! The Fort has many paranormal and ghostly activity on a very regular basis including reports
of a Demon that lurks around in one of these dark corridors!
This is your chance to help try un cover whom or what maybe haunting those dark corridors and rooms. Come and join in on our
Public Paranormal Investigation of this amazing location!
Fort Horsted
Chatham, Kent
Public Paranormal Ghost Hunt
Saturday 26th May 2012
Event Starts: 8.45pm
Event Finishes 2am
SAVE £10 IF YOU BOOK NOW!!
Was £49 Per Person
NOW ONLY £39 Per Person!!
SECURE YOUR PLACE FOR JUST £10
And pay NOTHING else until 19th March 2012!
HISTORY
During the mid 1800s there was considerable alarm in the United Kingdom generated by the territorial ambitions of Emperor Napoleon III of France, a traditional enemy, and the growing power of imperial Germany. The threat was so great that a Royal Commission was set up in 1859 to review UK defences and report its findings to parliament, which it did in 1860.
One of its recommendations was the construction of five forts to provide defence to Chatham’s Eastern flank and the strategically important Chatham dockyard where the new iron-clad warships were to be constructed. The forts were: Darland, Twydall, Luton, Horsted and Bridgewoods. Military opinion on the usefulness of fixed fortifications was divided possibly leading to the forts becoming known as Palmerston’s follies after the Prime Minister of the day Lord Palmerston.
Construction
Work started on Fort Horsted, named after Horsa a saxon king and by far the largest of the five, in 1880 using a convict labour force from the newly constructed Borstal prison and supervised by the Royal Engineers. The central tunnel and casemates were the first features to be constructed using bricks laid on timber formers and then covered in concrete to a depth of several metres. If you look at the roof of the main tunnel you can see the impression left by the timber formers. The last feature was the thirty foot deep dry moat that completely encircles the Fort. The chalk and flint from this major excavation was piled on top of the concrete to provide further protection from bombardment. By 1889 the work on the Fort had been completed and its role of providing a garrison, munitions store and water supply top up to Forts Luton and Bridgewoods began.
Armoury
Constructed in the shape of a six sided arrow head, with each flank protected by machines guns in the counterscarp galleries, the Fort would have been home to a garrison of approximately 400 men and women. Although never permanently so, a fort of this size would have been armed with:
Eight 8” Howitzers on recoilless carriages
Four 6.6” Howitzers
Twelve 20-pounder rifled breech loading guns
Thirteen 64-pounder rifled muzzle loading guns
Twelve 32-pounder smooth bore breech loading guns
The guns would have been supplied from ten expense magazines spread around the Fort equipped with hoists feeding munitions to the serving rooms directly above. Most of the guns were movable and could be deployed anywhere around or outside the Fort it enabling a field of fire to protect Chatham’s entire Eastern flank. The style of warfare at the time was for high angle artillery shells to be fired at targets from long range (one to three miles) while close quarter combat relied on sappers digging tunnels under defences and setting off mines. Fort Horsted lies approximately three miles away from the principle target of Chatham dockyard meaning invaders would have to get through the ring to attack the target.
Attacked!
The ring of Forts was put to the test on the 1st July 1907 when 2500 officers and men (the blue army) attacked a much smaller force of 1000 defenders (the red army) to take the dockyard. Since this was a peacetime operation, no shots or artillery were exchanged and both armies relied on the traditional methods of mining, countermining and explosives. The red army concentrated on attacking Forts Luton and Bridgewoods both of which had ‘fallen’ by August 2nd, proving that the Forts were not impregnable but could severely delay an attacking force.
WWI & WWII
For the next 60 years the Fort remained in military hands with a small garrison from the Royal Ordnance Corps and latterly the Royal Artillery in continuous occupation. Although much of their activities during this time is still covered by the official secrets act it is known that the Fort was used to manufacture and store ammunition.
During WWII a light anti-aircraft emplacement comprising 3.7” and Bofors guns were installed and controlled from Fort Luton. On the 15th September 1940, at the height of the Battle for Britain, an observer reported sighting six enemy aircraft being shot down in a 20 minute period. By the early sixties, however, the military no longer had any use for Fort Horsted and it was sold for £10,000 to a development company in 1963.
The unloved years
During the next 34 years the Fort had a variety of owners and tenants including Kent County Council, Ford UK, Boxwell Developments, the Biber Group, The Rootes Group, the Rochester Motor Company and Fort Tyres. Milestone dates were 1972 and 1976. In 1972 an application was made to demolish the Fort and build 120 private homes. A two day public enquiry was held and Geoffrey Rippon, Secretary of State for the Environment, stated that Fort Horsted was an ancient monument of great local interest and the application was denied.
By 1976 the Fort was owned by All Tyres or Fort Tyres a company registered in Germany that ran a number of businesses one of which was tyre remoulding. At some point an estimated 100,000 tyres were dumped on top of the site, in the tunnels and completely filled the moat.
The great fire
At midday on Wednesday July 7th 1976 an enormous fire broke out, probably as a result of a grass fire and burned for weeks. At the peak of the blaze over 50 fire fighters were on the scene, traffic diverted and the local college evacuated. After the blaze, the owners continued trading but the gradual decline of the Fort accelerated. Vegetation was allowed to grow unchecked throughout the site, units fell into disrepair, car breaking businesses moved in and the Fort became a regular haunt for the local constabulary seeking information on missing vehicles.
Rescue
By the early 1990s the Fort was all but deserted, derelict and in much need of attention. English Heritage and the Environment Agency issued an enforcement notice on the legal owners with a £1,000,000 liability to clear up the site and remove all the tyres. Instead, the owners put up the Fort for auction and it was bought by Avondale Environmental Services Ltd in 1997.
Having decided that the future for this historic monument lay in it being able to sustain itself in terms of income generation and investment, a business plan was put to English Heritage and the Environment Agency to not only clear the site but also to develop it into small business units. By staying within government guidelines for the restoration and renovation of historic sites and keeping all works in character, English Heritage relaxed its normally strict rules and considered relatively modern proposals.
English Heritage continued to support Avondale during the next four years as it cleared the tyres and put the Fort back to a habitable condition. Avondale was finally able to occupy the Fort in August 2001 and begin the next chapter in its long life.
FORT HORSTED GHOSTS
A Large black shaggy dog wandering around the numerous tunnels
The voice of a little girl has been recorded by visitors
Dark Shadowy figures witnessed in the abandoned tunnels
Areas so frightening security guards and guests refuse to go to!
A negative energy said to make visitors feel rather uncomfortable, nervous and feeling very sickly !
A Demon has also been reported
The ghosts of a mother and her young child has been seen walking the grounds wearing very old clothing!
FURTHER INFORMATION
EVENT INSTRUCTIONS
If you would like to join us on this event you can do by either paying in full or paying an £10 deposit to secure your spot on this amazing event Payments can be made through PayPal but we do also accept cheques. To pay by cheque please contact us here
The night will begin with a location tour, you will then be given the opportunity to participate in a number of vigils, and paranormal experiments including the usage of paranormal investigation equipment as used by our experienced paranormal team on a regular basis. You will be accompanied by our experienced paranormal team and psychic medium. We aim to provide guests with the equipment and knowledge and give them the opportunity to pursue the parts of paranormal investigating that interests them most.
Participation is always optional, no one will ever be forced or pressured to do anything.
Please read our terms and conditions before considering attending an event.
Event Instructions
The event will begin at 8.45pm.
Please be on location and ready to begin by this time.
Unfortunately we are unable to let any guests in before this time. Please remember to bring your ticket or confirmation number, and some form of ID if you could be mistaken for being under the age of 18. Upon arriving a Phantom Nights staff member will be there to greet you and give you further instructions. Please remember to bring warm clothes, and a torch. Food and drinks will be available to buy, but the areas in which they may be consumed may be restricted.
Please note this event requires you to be awake all night, there are no sleeping facilities available.
Event Address
Fort Horsted Business Centre
Primrose Close, Chatham, UK ME4 6HZ
[Please note - Tickets cannot be booked through the location directly, all bookings must be made through Phantom Nights.]
© 2011 Phantom Nights Ltd - All Rights Reserved