Archcliffe Fort, Dover

Archcliffe Fort is a historical military installation located at the base of the Dover Western Heights, overlooking Shakespeare Beach and the approaches to the Port of Dover. The site has been a strategic point of defense since 1370 when a watchtower was erected. This initial structure was replaced by a more substantial fortification commissioned by Henry VIII in 1539.

Over the centuries, Archcliffe Fort underwent several transformations. Concerns over the Spanish Armada led to renovations in 1588, and during the Stuart era, James VI and I and Charles I made significant improvements. Following the Stuart Restoration in 1660, Charles II heavily garrisoned the fort. The fortifications were further enhanced during the long eighteenth century due to frequent invasion scares.

In the 20th century, Archcliffe Fort saw a decline in military importance. It was manned during the First World War but largely demolished in the 1920s to accommodate expansions of the South Eastern Main Line railway. By the Second World War, the fort was considered obsolete and was decommissioned in 1956, with further demolition occurring to widen the A20 road.

Today, remnants of Archcliffe Fort include two ramparts and two intact corner bastions. The site also houses modern structures and has been repurposed by the Emmaus Community, a charity supporting formerly homeless individuals. Emmaus provides accommodation for 27 residents and operates a furniture recycling and retail center. In 2024, a commemorative plaque was unveiled to honor four soldiers who died clearing mines from Dover's beaches in 1944–45.

Archaeological finds at the site, including worked flint from the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods and pottery dating back to the 12th–14th centuries, highlight its long history of human activity. While the original 1370 watchtower no longer exists, plans from that era depict a pentagonal structure connected by a ditch to a gatehouse, approximating the locations of the current western and eastern bastions.

Archcliffe Fort stands as a testament to Dover’s layered history, transitioning from a medieval watchtower to a fortification, and now a place of community and hope.