Upnor Castle is an Elizabethan artillery fort located on the west bank of the River Medway in Kent. It is in the village of Upnor, opposite and a short distance downriver from the Chatham Dockyard, at one time a key naval facility. The fort was intended to protect both the dockyard and ships of the Royal Navy anchored in the Medway. It was constructed between 1559–67 on the orders of Elizabeth I,
during a period of tension with Spain and other European powers. The
castle consists of a two-storeyed main building protected by a curtain wall
and towers, with a triangular gun platform projecting into the river.
It was garrisoned by about 80 men with a peak armament of around 20
cannon of various calibres.
Despite its strategic importance, the castle and the defences of the
Thames and Medway were badly neglected during the 17th century. The Dutch Republic
mounted an unexpected naval raid in June 1667, and the Dutch fleet was
able to breach the defences, capturing two warships and burning others
at anchor in the river at Chatham, in one of the worst defeats suffered
by the Royal Navy. Upnor Castle acquitted itself better than many of the
other defensive sites along the upper Medway, despite its lack of
provisioning. Gun fire from the fort and from adjoining emplacements
forced a Dutch retreat after a couple of days, before they were able to
burn the dockyard itself.
The raid exposed the weaknesses of the Medway defences and led to the
castle losing its role as an artillery fortification. New and stronger
forts were built further downriver over the following two centuries,
culminating in the construction of massive casemated forts such as Garrison Point Fort, Hoo, and Darnet Forts.
Upnor Castle became a naval ammunition depot, storing great quantities
of gunpowder, ammunition, and cannon to replenish the warships that came
to Chatham for repair and resupply. It remained in military use until
as late as 1945. The castle was subsequently opened to the public and is
now an English Heritage property.
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| Display of gunpowder barrels and cannons in the magazine block |
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| Water bastion, main building and north tower |
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| North side of the curtain wall |
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| West side showing the gatehouse |
