Shorncliffe Redoubt
Encyclopedia
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
fort of great historic importance, as it is the birthplace of modern light infantry
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
tactics. The site is approximately 300 feet by 300 feet and is situated on the Kentish Coast in Sandgate, Kent
Sandgate, Kent
Sandgate is a village in the Folkestone and Hythe Urban Area in the Shepway district of Kent, England. In 2004, the village re-acquired civil parish status....
at .
The site is currently under threat of redevelopment and there is a concerted effort to prevent this by the Shorncliffe Redoubt Preservation Society (SRPS).
History
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
reached climax when the Revolutionary Government issued orders to execute King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
. Two weeks later, on 1 February, the French republic declared war on its oldest of enemies the British, and for the next decade Great Britain braced itself for invasion.
At that time British land-based defences were woefully inadequate to defend against an invasion as Great Britain had always relied on the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
for its defence. To prepare for invasion in 1794 British Parliament purchased a large piece of land at Shorncliffe, the obvious place for initial fortifications to be built as it was just 20 miles away from the French coast, so close, in fact, that the locals could see the smoke from the camp fires of Napoleon's waiting army. Later further defences were added to the Kent Coast including the 28-mile-long Royal Military Canal
Royal Military Canal
The Royal Military Canal is a canal running for 28 miles between Seabrook near Folkestone and Cliff End near Hastings, following the old cliff line bordering Romney Marsh.-Construction:...
, started in October 1804 and finished in June 1805, which stretches from Cliffend to Seabrook
Seabrook, Kent
Seabrook is a small coastal village in Kent, England. The village lies in-between Sandgate and Hythe. The Royal Military Canal starts here. There is a Church of England Primary School and a local pub "The Fountain"...
. Also Martello Towers were built between 1805 and 1808 to bolster the defences.
The Redoubt was designed by Colonel William Twiss
William Twiss
General William Twiss, , was a British Army Royal Engineer, responsible for the design of many military defenses.Probably born in Kent in 1744 or 1755, Twiss worked in the ordnance office at the Tower of London from 1760, before becoming overseer of works at Gibraltar. Receiving a commission in...
, a military engineer. Once built, the site became home to the 43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot
43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot
The 43rd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was raised as Thomas Fowke's Regiment of Foot in 1741 with its headquarters at Winchester. The regiment was numbered 54th Foot until 1748 when it became the 43rd Foot...
, 52nd (Oxfordshire) Light Infantry Regiment and the 95th Rifles and the light infantry brigades who were trained by Sir John Moore when he was stationed there in 1802.
The Shorncliffe System
The units stationed here during the Napoleonic wars greatly affected military history form this point onward. The light infantry trained at Shorncliffe were a new breed of soldier more akin to the soldiers of the modern British Army than their contemporaries. Using the "Shorncliffe Method", devised by Lt-Col Kenneth Mackenzie, the soldiers were taught to think for themselves and act on initiative. A high proportion of them were literate, which was unusual for the time. Moreover, in an age when many officers received no training, the light infantry officers drilled with the men. Their battlefield tactics were the embryonic emergence of current military manoeuvres, often fighting in skirmish formation ahead of the British main battle line.In the Victorian era the Redoubt was converted to a dwelling for the camp Commandant. Many of the bricks used in the construction of the house were reused from the original Redoubt building.
Construction
The method of construction of the earthwork walls was totally different from that of earlier earthworks. In earlier walls the earth was merely dug out and piled so that the wall would be formed (Figure 1). This would lead to the topsoil
Topsoil
Topsoil is the upper, outermost layer of soil, usually the top to . It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs.-Importance:...
being at the bottom and the stonier substrate
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
being at the top. This method of construction was optimal before the widespread use of cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
. The design of the Shorncliffe walls was different, and showed careful forethought and engineering (Figure 2). The turf was lifted and put to one side, followed by the topsoil. The stony substrate was then used to create the core of the wall, and a layer of top soil was placed over it and compacted. Then a further layer of stony substrate was added with another layer of top soil to cover it. It is surmised that the turfs were then placed at the bottom of the mound to create extra stability and to promote growth of the grass for protection from the weather. This method of construction leads to a wall with strong foundations
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
better able to withstand cannon fire than previous earthworks.
The defensive ditches dug around the Redoubt were about 5 metres deep. With the earthen ramparts
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
beyond, the Redoubt was well defended.
Some maps show heavily fortified magazines
Magazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
, but archaeological digs have failed to find them. It turns out that the maps were more guidelines for the construction of a much larger star fort
Star fort
A star fort, or trace italienne, is a fortification in the style that evolved during the age of gunpowder, when cannon came to dominate the battlefield, and was first seen in the mid-15th century in Italy....
which was never built due to the change of infantry tactics brought forward by Colonel Coote Manningham
Coote Manningham
Coote Manningham was a British army officer who played a significant role in the creation and early development of the 95th Rifles.He was the second son of Charles Manningham of Surrey....
and Sir John Moore.
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
. The Redoubt itself has fallen into a state of disrepair.
Preservation Society
The SRPS is a group of volunteers founded by Chris Shaw and Michael George in March 2005 with a keen historical interest who want to preserve the site from destruction by housing developers. Its aims are as follows:- To have a plaque erected on the site to mark Sir John Moore, the 95th Rifles and the birthplace of modern British army training and tactics.
- To restore as much of the Redoubt and the nearby surrounding area as possible, to create a permanent home for the 95th Rifles reenactment unit.
- To develop this site into an International Living History and education site dedicated to the Riflemen, both British and Commonwealth, from 1800 to the present day, that trained, lived and died within and around the Redoubt.
In popular culture
- Al JohnsonAl JohnsonAl Johnson may refer to:* Al Johnson , American sportsman* Al Johnson , Canadian Member of Parliament* Al Johnson , Canadian ice hockey player...
made a recording of The Shorncliffe Camp Song which was originally sung by the recruits at Shorncliffe during World War I. It was called Down in Shorncliffe Camp and sung to the tune of "Back Home in Tennessee" written by W.M. Jerome & Walter DonaldsonWalter DonaldsonWalter Donaldson was a prolific United States popular songwriter, composing many hit songs of the 1910s and 1920s.-History:...
, 1915.
- Shorncliffe is also mentioned several times in the Sharpe novels of Bernard CornwellBernard CornwellBernard Cornwell OBE is an English author of historical novels. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe which were adapted into a series of Sharpe television films.-Biography:...
as it was the base of the 95th Regiment of Foot to which fictional soldier Richard SharpeRichard Sharpe (fictional character)Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. The stories formed the basis for an ITV television series wherein the eponymous character was played by Sean Bean....
belonged.
- The popular Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
archaeology program Time TeamTime TeamTime Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
featured a dig conducted on the site. The programme was first screened on 1 May 2007.