HER 1060 - Reigate Fort: a London mobilisation centre

Scheduled Monument
Reigate Mobilization centre or "fort", erected circa 1890 as part of a London Defence Scheme. The monument includes the main compound of Reigate Fort London mobilisation centre, situated on the southern crest of Reigate Hill. This location enjoys commanding views across the landscape to the south. The east-west aligned, elongated compound is defined by a large earthen rampart, roughly `D'-shaped in plan. A deep, unrevetted outer ditch completely encloses the compound, creating a straight channel around 200m long at the rear, or gorge, of the installation. The ditch is in turn encircled by a hollow, designed to have been filled with barbed wire entanglements on mobilisation. In the east the hollow contains a steel palisade fence which enclosed the eastern half of the compound. Inside the entrance is an almost entirely subterranean magazine block, consisting of two main chambers, and covered by an earthen blast mound. To minimise the risk of explosion, the magazine passage contained a shifting lobby, where personnel changed into protective and non-spark producing clothes before entering the cartridge store. Many original features survive, including the notices labelling various components of the magazine. Although not essentially designed as a fort, the mobilisation centre did possess a self-defence capability and was intended to deploy artillery in the event of a successful enemy advance. Concrete steps at each end of the casemates provided access onto the rampart, which would function as a firing step in response to enemy bombardment. Traces of a flint retaining wall survive along the inside edge of the parapet. Two additional earthworks at the western end of the parade are believed to be an additional firing platform and an earthen traverse, designed to block enfilade fire from the west. A mobilisation tool store with a pitched, slate roof was usually located outside the perimeter ditch. Unusually, a large brick-built tool store with a flat concrete roof was constructed inside the main compound at Reigate Fort, close to the entrance at the eastern end of the parade. The centre was sold in 1907, but was recommissioned during World War II and used by Canadian troops. Additional steps onto the southern rampart at its eastern end and traces of building foundations nearby are thought to belong to this period.

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Related Records

• SHHER_191
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• SHHER_1061
• SHHER_1238
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• SHHER_1644

Archaeological History

Activity	Person & Organisation	Dates
field survey	Currie, C K CKCA	1996-02-27
Description Field survey to record and photograph features of possible historic/archaeological interest within the Colley Hill proposed ASHLV boundary Location Surrey, Reigate & Banstead, Reigate, Grid Reference TQ 256 520 Associated Sources Title Author Type More info CKC Archaeology: unpublished report Currie, C K document more... Reference Colley Hill: proposed Area of Historic Landscape Value (AHLV) Reference 31/03/96 Reference Supplementry information requested by the Planning Dept, SCC Holding Location Surrey SMR 1 part

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