Monument record TQ 76 NE 432 - 18th century military features and remains of buildings from the barracks at Chatham

An evaluation in 2006 found part of what may have been the glacis associated with Fort Amherst. Along the western boundary of the site remains were found of the boundary wall associated with the original Chatham Infantry barracks built in 1757. Associated with this wall were parts of the officers' stables and coach house, grooms' quarters and the walled formal garden of the commanding officer's house. Other traces of 18th century and later activity associated with the military presence included terraces cut into the chalk, trench cut features and rubbish pits. Ephemeral traces on the southern part of the site could relate to the formal gardens of the barracks. (1)

Archaeological excavation at Amherst Hill, Chatham, undertaken in 2013 ahead of residential development, further revealed a site whose significance lay primarily in its association with the military occupation of Fort Amherst and Chatham Barracks. The investigation recorded the buried remains of the original 1757 Chatham Infantry Barracks boundary wall, the Officers’ Quarters, Mess House, officers’ stables, grooms’ quarters, associated roads, drains, latrines and other infrastructure. Detailed building recording identified several phases of modification, including substantial Victorian improvements linked to military reforms. The most important discovery was a group of 19 chalk-cut bivouac shelters or booths, many containing hearths, chimneys, steps and occupation deposits. Dating evidence showed these structures were mainly used between the early 18th and mid-19th centuries and provide rare evidence for the daily lives of soldiers stationed at Chatham. The excavation also recorded surviving World War II air raid shelters and related military features.(2)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2006, Amherst Hill, Chatham, Kent: Archaeological Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SKE16065.

<2> Swale and Thames Archaeological Survey Company, 2015, Post Excavation Assessment Report Of Land At Amherst Hill, Chatham, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE56869.