Are you brave enough to join Ghost Hunter Tours on a full blown ghost hunt at one of the countries reported most haunted locations. We will take you on an investigation of this very dark and scarey location and we will attempt to make contact with the spirits that reside within it tunnel network !!! over 18's only !

Haunted History

Fort Amherst Ghosts

The hauntings have been a frequent occurrence at Fort Amherst - shadow figures are seen often, voices heard in your ears like someone is wispering right next to you and most horrible footsteps follow you.

The apparition of a soldier has been witnessed also by visitors and staff and people have often had to wipe small hand prints of their backs upon leaving the tunnels, as if they’d been touched by a small child

Fort Amherst Ghosts

Since its opening to the public in 1983, the hauntings have been a frequent occurrence at Fort Amherst. Dark shadows are often seen, even in the daytime, and this has been reported almost daily. Voices have also been reported, often in people’s ears as if someone is standing right next to them. People have been so shocked by this phenomena they have screamed in shock quickly leaving the area.

People have heard the sounds of children crying and a woman wailing regularly. There also seems to be a very active presence in the tunnels that doesn’t seem to shy away from making themselves known. Direct responses to requests has been witnessed, as well as poltergeist activity in abundance as you travel further in to the heart of these very haunted tunnels.

The apparition of a soldier has been witnessed by guests and staff in the lower gun floor. He tends to make himself known to people who are familiar with the location, only people who’ve worked there or visited a couple times have seen him.

People have often had to wipe small hand prints of their backs upon leaving the tunnels, as if they’d been touched by a small child.

History of Fort Amherst

In 1667 the Dutch raided the River Medway and attacked Chatham’s Royal Dockyard. During the devastating attack, thirteen ships were destroyed and two were taken including the flagship of the fleet, the ‘Royal Charles’. At that point in time there were no defences protecting the Dockyard against a land based attack; and the raid by the Dutch led to a review of the defences protecting this important site. As well as improved defence of the River Medway, the review included proposals to protect the landward side of the Dockyard which would also serve to disrupt an invasion party heading towards London. This is where the story of Fort Amherst and Chatham Lines begins.

In 1708 plans were beginning to be drawn up to construct a fortification to protect the Royal Dockyard from a land based attack. In 1714 land was bought for the construction of the fortifications but work did not start until 1755. The fortifications were to be built on the ditch and rampart principle; this was a common method of fortification construction during this period.

Part of the site chosen included a chalk pit with a number of caves. These caves were extended between 1776 and 1805 to provide an underground labyrinth of tunnels, protected underground gun positions and protection in the event of a siege. The tunnels contain many interesting and important features including a well, privies, loopholed defences, cannon positions and defendable gateways.

To ensure the protection of the Dockyard, three defendable gateways were constructed to control and defend access into the area protected by the Chatham Lines. One of these gateways, the Upper Barrier Guardhouse, can be found within the lower portion of Fort Amherst. The guardhouse housed a small garrison to defend the route from Chatham town by the use of a drawbridge, loopholed walls and a set of three heavy gates. The barrack rooms within this building have been restored for your enjoyment.

Although Fort Amherst and the Chatham Lines were never put to the test, we can see from its design it would have made a formidable defence against any invasion force. In 1820 the defences were declared obsolete due to better artillery equipment with a greater firing range. The whole of the fortifications were used as a training ground during the Victorian period and the practice sieges were so popular that thousands of people came to Chatham to watch them. VIPs were given seating areas upon the Casemated Barracks that once stood in the Lower Lines and also upon Prince William’s Barracks within Fort Amherst. One of these sieges is described by Charles Dickens in his book ‘Pickwick Papers’.

Later History

During WWII the tunnels were utilised by the Anti-Invasion Planning Unit and Civil Defence, who used a section as their headquarters. This is where Civil Defence was co-ordinated for the North Kent area in the event of bombing as well as support and assistance to the general public after such an incident. A section of the tunnels has been reconstructed into the Civil Defence HQ as it was in 1939.

In the late 1970’s a group of enthusiasts were given permission by the Ministry of Defence to start tidying up the site, with the intention of restoring Fort Amherst. In 1980 the Fort was purchased from the MoD by the Fort Amherst and Lines Trust and public open days began. In subsequent years additional areas of the Fort were purchased and the Fort Amherst Heritage Trust now owns and manages 20 acres of the fortifications. Half of this land has been carefully restored and further areas will be restored over time.

Fort Amherst remains the most intricate part of the Chatham Lines. The underground works, complicated gun batteries, Haxo Casemates, Grand Magazine and the important defensive Guardhouse are just some of the many fascinating features on this site that visitors can explore. Fort Amherst has been described Britain’s largest Napoleonic fortress.

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Ghost Hunt At The Haunted Fort Amherst Chatham