← Back✦ Historic site

Coalhouse Fort battery and artillery defences

18 ha

📷 Ian Dalgliesh · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plan your visit

FamilyBirdsPlay

Public accessFree entryDogs welcome18 ha

Getting here

51.46349, 0.43271

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

☀️June — long evenings and clear skies; one of the most rewarding months for a late visit
☀️Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay
☕Engine Room Café — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food

🌤️ Visiting this summer

☀️June — long evenings and clear skies; one of the most rewarding months for a late visit
☀️Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay
☕Engine Room Café — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome

CaféParking· FreePicnic spotPlaygroundToilets

Best for

13 activities

Family friendly

Very strong match

playground, café, toilets, picnic area

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Mudflats — internationally important for wading birds and wildfowl; Birds — Carrion Crow, Mallard, Magpie +98 more · last seen 2026

Free

Playgrounds

Very strong match

playground, toilets, café, parking

Free

Picnic day out

Very strong match

picnic area, café, toilets, car park

Free

Wildlife

Strong match

Reedbeds priority habitat; Birds — Carrion Crow, Mallard, Magpie +98 more · last seen 2026

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site with public access

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

7 signed routes nearby · 2 public paths nearby

Signed route nearbyPublic paths

WealdwayWalking route

Named routeRegional walking route

Chattenden Woods WalkWalking route

Named route

Saxon Shore WayWalking route262 km

Named routeLength 262 kmRegional walking route

Hoo Peninsula PathWalking route

Named route

Thames Estuary PathWalking route46.6 km

Named routeLength 46.6 kmNational walking route

🚴

Cycling

73 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Heron TrailCycling route

Named routeRef 179National Cycle Network

NCN National Route 13Cycling route

Named routeRef 13National Cycle Network

NCN National Route 1Cycling route

Named routeRef 1National Cycle Network

Main RouteCycling route76 m

Named routeRef 1Length 76 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface blocks

Main RouteCycling route86 m

Named routeRef 1Length 86 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route118 m

Named routeRef 1Length 118 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface pavementslabs

Wildlife to spot

28,551 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

28,551 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds68 species

winter

2026

Shelduck · Teal · Gadwall · Magpie · Moorhen +63

ShelduckTadorna tadorna2025
TealAnas crecca
GadwallMareca strepera2025
MagpiePica pica2025
MoorhenGallinula chloropus2025
CootFulica atra2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2025
RobinErithacus rubecula2025
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2025
Little EgretEgretta garzetta2025
StonechatSaxicola rubicola2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
Greylag GooseAnser anser2025
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis2025
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2025
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
CurlewNumenius arquata2025
Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti2025
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
Great TitParus major2025
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2025
LapwingVanellus vanellus2025
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2025
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
RedshankTringa totanus2025
LinnetLinaria cannabina2025
FieldfareTurdus pilaris2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria2025
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2025
Water RailRallus aquaticus2025
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarola2025
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula2025
Brent GooseBranta bernicla2025
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica2025
DunlinCalidris alpina2025
KnotCalidris canutus2025
RedwingTurdus iliacus2025
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus2025
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula2025
Canada GooseBranta canadensis2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
GoldeneyeBucephala clangula2025
RavenCorvus corax2025
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator2025
AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta2025
SnipeGallinago gallinago2025
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis2025
KingfisherAlcedo atthis2025
Rock PipitAnthus petrosus2025
SanderlingCalidris alba2025
Stock DoveColumba oenas2025

🐝

Insects1 species

spring

2026

Green Tiger Beetle

Green Tiger BeetleCicindela campestris

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

28,551 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds68 species

winter

2026

Shelduck · Teal · Gadwall · Magpie · Moorhen +63

ShelduckTadorna tadorna2025
TealAnas crecca
GadwallMareca strepera2025
MagpiePica pica2025
MoorhenGallinula chloropus2025
CootFulica atra2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2025
RobinErithacus rubecula2025
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2025
Little EgretEgretta garzetta2025
StonechatSaxicola rubicola2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
Greylag GooseAnser anser2025
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis2025
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2025
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
CurlewNumenius arquata2025
Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti2025
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
Great TitParus major2025
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2025
LapwingVanellus vanellus2025
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2025
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
RedshankTringa totanus2025
LinnetLinaria cannabina2025
FieldfareTurdus pilaris2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria2025
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2025
Water RailRallus aquaticus2025
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarola2025
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula2025
Brent GooseBranta bernicla2025
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica2025
DunlinCalidris alpina2025
KnotCalidris canutus2025
RedwingTurdus iliacus2025
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus2025
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula2025
Canada GooseBranta canadensis2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
GoldeneyeBucephala clangula2025
RavenCorvus corax2025
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator2025
AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta2025
SnipeGallinago gallinago2025
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis2025
KingfisherAlcedo atthis2025
Rock PipitAnthus petrosus2025
SanderlingCalidris alba2025
Stock DoveColumba oenas2025

🐝

Insects1 species

spring

2026

Green Tiger Beetle

Green Tiger BeetleCicindela campestris

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Ian Dalgliesh · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Sunrise reflecting in the moat at Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🌱Coalhouse Fort ParkUrban park200 m→🌱Gordon GardensUrban park4.4 km→🌱Church GreenUrban park400 m→✦Tilbury FortHistoric site4.2 km→🌱Gordon PromenadeUrban park4.3 km→🌱Gordon Pleasure GardensUrban park4.4 km→