Free Coalhouse Fort walk in East Tilbury this Wednesday
Coalhouse Fort’s military past and the wildlife living around its moat will come together during a free guided walk in East Tilbury on Wednesday, 19 August. The 90-minute event starts at 11am at Coalhouse Fort Park and is open to the general public, with no advance booking required.
Led by the Thurrock Council Ranger Service, the walk is aimed at visitors interested in local history, wildlife or both. Participants should meet outside the fort gates, near the café. Based on the stated duration, the walk is scheduled to finish at approximately 12.30pm.
Military history and wildlife on one route
The guided tour will examine the military history of Coalhouse Fort before exploring the habitats surrounding the site. Although the fort’s historic importance is well known, Thurrock Council says the park also contains habitats considered important nationally and internationally.
Wildlife recorded around the fort includes rare bumblebees, butterflies, water voles, wading birds, reptiles and birds of prey. That gives the event a broader focus than a conventional tour of the fort’s defences and surviving structures, with the route connecting the built site to its moat, ditch network and neighbouring habitats.
Visitors will also have an opportunity to see inside the fort after the tour. The council says its free walks take place monthly and cover different aspects of the fort and park. Other free family days are taking place at Coalhouse Fort on nearby August dates.
Why the surrounding wetland is being managed
The Ranger Service works alongside the Reanimating Coalhouse Fort team and volunteers on habitat management. This includes maintaining water levels within the ditch network to protect wildlife, work made more pressing by the challenges recent dry weather has created for local wetland habitats and species.
The council is also working with Historic England on plans to restore the fort’s eroding lower moat bank. Councillor George Monk, Thurrock Council’s Cabinet Member for Deregulation, Efficiency and Civic Pride, described Coalhouse Fort as an important part of Thurrock’s heritage, identity and natural environment, while thanking rangers, volunteers and partner organisations for their work at the site.
Where to meet for Wednesday’s walk
The Guided walk at Coalhouse Fort begins at 11am on Wednesday, 19 August, at Coalhouse Fort Park, East Tilbury. Attendance is free: there is no need to book, and visitors should simply meet outside the fort gates beside the café.
The Thurrock Council event notice does not provide transport or accessibility arrangements, so anyone who needs those details should check them before travelling.
Source: Thurrock Council
Context & actions About this article
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The date, start time, venue, cost and entry arrangements were checked against the published Thurrock Council notice.
- Confirmed the walk is scheduled for Wednesday, 19 August at 11am.
- Confirmed the meeting point is outside the Coalhouse Fort gates near the café.
- Confirmed attendance is free and no advance booking is required.
- Confirmed the stated duration is approximately 90 minutes.
- Source
- Thurrock Council
- Scope
- East Tilbury
- Updated
- 2026-08-17 11:23
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