East Tilbury’s free Coalhouse Fort walk returns Wednesday

A free guided walk through Coalhouse Fort and its surrounding park will take place in East Tilbury on Wednesday, 19 August 2026. The 90-minute tour starts at 11am and is open to the general public, with no booking required.

Visitors should meet outside the fort gates, near the café, at Coalhouse Fort Park. Led by the Thurrock Council Ranger Service, the walk will explore two closely connected sides of the site: its military history and the wildlife living around its defences. The tour is expected to finish at approximately 12:30pm, after which attendees will have an opportunity to see inside the fort.

Military history meets rare wildlife around the fort

The guided walk will cover Coalhouse Fort’s historic military role before turning to the habitats across the surrounding park. This gives visitors a way to consider the fortifications alongside the landscape and wildlife that now occupy the site, rather than treating them as separate features.

According to Thurrock Council, visitors often recognise the fort’s historical significance without realising that nationally and internationally important habitats also surround it. Wildlife found around the site includes rare bumblebees, butterflies, water voles, wading birds, reptiles and birds of prey.

The opportunity to enter the fort comes after the main guided walk. The council has not given a separate duration for this part of the visit, so attendees should treat the stated 90 minutes as the approximate length of the walk itself.

Why the ditch network and moat bank matter

The event comes as recent dry weather has created difficulties for local wetland habitats and the species that depend on them. The Ranger Service works with the Reanimating Coalhouse Fort team and volunteers on habitat management, including maintaining water levels within the fort’s ditch network to help protect wildlife.

Work is also continuing with Historic England on plans to restore the fort’s eroding lower moat bank. These projects show how management of the site involves both its historic structures and the habitats that have developed around them—the same relationship Wednesday’s walk is intended to explore.

Councillor George Monk, Thurrock Council’s Cabinet Member for Deregulation, Efficiency and Civic Pride, credited the rangers, volunteers and partner organisations with preserving the fort’s history and natural environment.

Where and when to join the guided walk

• Date: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
• Time: 11am to approximately 12:30pm
• Venue: Coalhouse Fort, Coalhouse Fort Park, East Tilbury
• Cost: Free
• Audience: General public
• Booking: Not required
• Meeting point: Outside the fort gates, near the café

The council notice does not provide transport or accessibility information. Anyone who needs those details should check directly with Thurrock Council before travelling. The Ranger Service holds free walks monthly, covering different aspects of the fort and park; for Wednesday’s tour, visitors can attend by arriving at the stated meeting point in time for the 11am start.

Source: Thurrock Council