Free Coalhouse Fort Walk in East Tilbury on 19 August
Coalhouse Fort’s military past and wildlife will share the route on a free guided walk in East Tilbury on Wednesday, 19 August. The 90-minute tour starts at 11am at Coalhouse Fort Park and is open to the general public. No booking is required: visitors can turn up and meet outside the fort gates, near the café.
A 90-minute route through the fort and park
The Thurrock Council Ranger Service will guide visitors around Coalhouse Fort and its surrounding park. The walk is expected to finish at about 12:30pm, giving attendees an hour and a half to explore the site’s military history and the wildlife found around it.
Those attending will also have an opportunity to see inside the fort after the guided tour. This adds a closer look at the historic structure to a route that also examines the habitats beyond its walls.
The council says its free walks take place monthly and cover different aspects of the fort and park. Wednesday’s event is specifically focused on the connection between the site’s military heritage and its natural environment.
Military history meets nationally significant wildlife
Coalhouse Fort is widely recognised for its historic significance, but the Ranger Service says visitors may be less familiar with the nationally and internationally important habitats surrounding the site. Wildlife recorded there includes rare bumblebees, butterflies, water voles, wading birds, reptiles and birds of prey.
The walk will explore how the same landscape serves both heritage and wildlife. That relationship is particularly important around the ditch network, where water levels are maintained to protect species and wetland habitats.
Recent dry weather has created challenges for those wetlands and the species that depend on them, according to Thurrock Council. Rangers, volunteers and the Reanimating Coalhouse Fort team are involved in active habitat management. They are also working with Historic England on plans to restore the fort’s eroding lower moat bank, bringing the conservation of the historic structure and its surrounding environment into the same programme of work.
Cllr 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 beauty. He also thanked the rangers, volunteers and partner organisations involved in preserving the fort and its environment.
Where to meet on Wednesday morning
The confirmed meeting point is outside the gates of Coalhouse Fort, near the café, at Coalhouse Fort Park in East Tilbury. Visitors should be there for the 11am departure on Wednesday, 19 August. The walk is free and there is no booking process.
Thurrock Council’s notice does not include accessibility or public transport information, so visitors needing those details should check with the council before travelling. The practical arrangements provided by the council are limited to the meeting point, start time, approximate 12:30pm finish and the opportunity to see inside the fort after the tour.
Source: Thurrock Council
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The event date, time, location, duration, cost and entry arrangements were checked against Thurrock Council’s published notice.
- Confirmed the walk takes place on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, starting at 11am.
- Confirmed the venue as Coalhouse Fort Park in East Tilbury.
- Confirmed the tour is free and does not require advance booking.
- Confirmed the walk lasts about 90 minutes and includes an opportunity to see inside the fo...
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- Thurrock Council
- Scope
- East Tilbury
- Updated
- 2026-08-17 11:16
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