FINALLY GOT INSIDE! - The Abandoned Fort

Sorry for the wind. We have now resolved this issue for future videos with the new camera.
Today we finally get inside of this magnificent fort. Several years ago we set off alarms and had to hide in bushed as security hunted us on quadbikes. This time we have been successful.
For more detailed information on Cliffe fort, see this wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffe_...
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[@ingenfare]

I understand why they brick up old places or fill them with concrete or rocks. But it's sad that the opportunity to visit and feel the history is lost. Really appreciate you taking us along to see all these cool underground / dilapidated places. In a few decades or centuries so many of them will be gone. Having HQ video and walkthrough explanations might be the only things left (not counting dusty documents about these places that are in archives somewhere).

[@BilisNegra]

The time I got notified about this video, there was just ONE watch registered, most probably unfinished, with me and that person enjoying this at the same time. Love to go back to those honest times when videos had actually been uploaded when you were notified about it. Had to totally put aside what I was watching at the moment what feels so unique now.

[@upthehoe]

Good to see it the day light. Good job Jim!

[@SubExploration]

We go down into the flooded bit next week 👍

[@simonlangley1983]

Excellent video!! Torpedo rails at the end was v interesting. Keep up the good work - fascinating stuff.

[@yellowboy1866]

Thanks for risking life and limb once more for your fans. There's so much history there just crumbling away.

[@SubExploration]

Indeed there is. This Fridays video is of the flooded underground bits.

[@4englishlies875]

Great video would have been nice to see that in all it's glory back in the day. Can't wait for part 2 keep up the great work guys.

[@JohnHowlett]

I only watched this video to count the number of times you said OKAY but it turned out to be one of my favourite you have done so far, really looking forward to the next one ... and it was 28

[@SubExploration]

🤣 ok

[@timbateman7202]

Really interesting, many thanks for sharing this with us. Loved it.

[@WESTOFEDEN71]

Awesome- thanx guys I totaly support your efforts and risk and I am a Big urbex fan. Good Job

[@stevegent5047]

Fantastic! Looking forward to part 2. 👍🏻

[@dannydoo123]

This is the sister fort to Coalhouse fort i believe. Coalhouse is a cool place to visit open last sunday of the month . Nice video guys

[@PurpleCrow27]

Bloody awesome! :> Thanks for this video (and the next).

[@ExploringWithEmAndStu]

Brilliant location, really hope we are able to visit this one day.. Thanks for sharing it with us 👍

[@TheLowerman]

Super video, really liked the establishing drone shots at the beginning.

[@robsherry8358]

Cool . . . . can't wait till next installment of this series. Great explore!

[@christhompson7547]

Thanx Simon and Badger. Great video.

[@pete2347]

That one was awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[@j-man6001]

man CONGRATZ! Hard work does pay off!! Keep up the great vids!

[@andreabarns1128]

I really enjoyed this one - it's fascinating to see how nature reclaims space. Great content as always

[@MineExplorerUK]

Another awesome video! Would love to visit this place one day

[@noreenedge8951]

Cant wait for next part.Great stuff as always.

[@brianartillery]

17:15 - That 'T' shaped piece of metal looks like a lamp bracket, to hang oil lamps from, when the fort was new. A fascinating site, indeed. And closed off as someone fell. Same story for Landguard Fort at Felixstowe. Great site, dating from the time of Henry VIII, and constantly updated. It has two WW2 B.O.P. towers, that were great to climb, very solid - when I worked at Felixstowe Docks, I often ate my lunch at the top of one, and watched the world go by. Then a stupid kid, showing off, climbed on to the roof of one of the towers, about sixty five feet up, and fell off. The site was immediately sealed, and basically all the really interesting bits, like the seaward batteries, and magazines, were 'sanitized', with stairway removal to deter access, and welding up of doorways. Thank you very much, show off idiot.

[@teresanoel4035]

brianartillery did the kid survive

[@ThatScoobyDoom]

Brilliant, man. Can't wait for the follow up next week! Keep up the great work, sir.

[@SubExploration]

Thank you 😉👍

[@ThatScoobyDoom]

@@SubExploration I was just watching some of the older vids again when this notification popped up. Haha Some of the earlier 2-parters.

[@horyzengaming3935]

There is a tunnel that goes towards Shorne Fort, we use to walk along it for miles, was full of water then they eventually filled the entrance in at Cliffe Fort.

[@SubExploration]

Yeah you can see where the tunnel runs but no access these days

[@SueGirling68]

Hi Simon, such a cool explore, kudos to you guys for jumping like racehorses over the obstacles lol. Thanks for sharing this unique location. x

[@mikkhartt6949]

Race horses 😂😂😂

[@ebenizerb.schlestertrappdu6943]

Very interesting exploration video. Thanks!

[@geoffcrummy1443]

Great explore guys excellent work 👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🛸🛸

[@seanbrennan4447]

Great vid :) jeez three years ago when you went there last.Time sure does fly fast.Great to see you finally got in there.

[@SubExploration]

Thanks mate.

[@sooo1201]

Thank you for sharing, I wish I could go out exploring 😟

[@davidsirett5560]

what a lovely place it is a shame it is left to rot great film as usual stay safe.

[@krustykamper]

Amazing to see Cliffe Fort all fenced up. Haven't been down there for about 20 years. We used to play in them when we were kids back in the 60's That was before "Health and Safety" took all the fun out of things :-(

[@SubExploration]

Don't get me started on health and safety! 🤣

[@retiredman]

Another awesome video guys great job really enjoyed it 😀Too bad these old forts are falling apart.

[@SubExploration]

Thank you. Yes its a shame but we have many forts that are being looked after and are open to the public. Fort Nelson in Portsmouth is a great one.

[@Ms_Davina]

Cracking explore chaps! Thank you for sharing it with us. I remember the original video where you had to hide in the bushes...

[@SubExploration]

Wow, just goes to show that you have been with us for a while now. Thanks for watching.

[@Ms_Davina]

@@SubExploration thank you for turning out engaging videos of cracking explores... Would love to be able to tag along, but your videos are the next best thing!

[@eatwalkstitchsleep]

Enjoyed this one! Haven’t been in years, need to get back! :-)

[@James-hx8nw]

Mate I really do love your content really grate work on every video I feel like I am there with you and your taking me on a guided tour!!

[@SubExploration]

Thank you 😉👍

[@Julia-xg5yx]

Wow what an amazing place! Well done guys can't wait for the next video! (love badgers response at the end its usually the other way round you telling him you hate him 😂😂)

[@bleeksbentbits3150]

Awesome! Ive been looking forward to seeing this one for some time.....thank you! Surely yoou must be running out of fresh brick/1860's forts to explore- at least without needing a boat :v

[@SubExploration]

I'm planning on getting my hands on a boat ;-)

[@28YorkshireRose12]

And yet another amazing place that most of us didn't know about - Thanks for making the video. I could just imagine the fort full of military personnel, and wonder just how large a complement of men it would have needed to run it. I really can't wait until we see the lower levels, where the water reaches 'Badger's nadgers'.... lol!

[@justvin7214]

There were quarters for 300 but it was usually manned by a much smaller garrison apparently.

[@SubExploration]

I have looked around and sadly i can't find any old photos from when it was in use :-(

[@justvin7214]

@@SubExploration Sorry haven't seen any pics of the fort in use but these are photos of Officers and NCOs from 1915: www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~dkbrown/buffs1.jpg www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~dkbrown/buffs2.jpg

[@rolfsinkgraven]

Well that was a very interesting explore guys thnx loved watching it.

[@SubExploration]

👍

[@t.s.1514]

excellent video, mate!

[@danielgoodwin9700]

I got in there about 5/6 years ago and had a good look.

[@forbiddenfootsteps7158]

I remember the first vid of this it was one of the first vids I watched of you lol 😂

[@mr.velocity6547]

Good one guys !....definitely revisit with rope and waders🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@SubExploration]

We did. Video this Friday 👍

[@tomtinkersrezlife278]

Great vid guys love those old t tunnels and forts keep it up love all your vids off to check out IKS new vid next keep it up much love and respect from Maine USA to u all doing this

[@SubExploration]

Thanks Tom!

[@chriscollins550]

Always a thumbs up

[@MegaBmwdude]

Nice video lads, keep the good work up

[@woody123496]

Beautifull fort man

[@TheRopeAddict]

Love the drone footage

[@garrydealey1968]

Great work keep it up

[@59patrickw]

i personally think this is one ove if not the best one you done so far

[@NewnameSameme]

59patrickw I totally agree, brilliant video.

[@SubExploration]

Thank you

[@diekkie]

Nice those video's, keep going on..

[@AWE83]

Good video bro I taught that kid u was talking about he went to the secondary school I was teaching at, he broke his back had to get air lifted off

[@morthren]

Did he recover from it?

[@jdshqs]

"bro I taught that kid u was talking about" obviously not english

[@SubExploration]

Jesus! Atleast he didn't die.

[@windsorcastl]

Very cool. We dont really have this kind of history in America so thanks for showing us. I dont know how hard it is to find and explore old castles but that would be the coolest

[@SubExploration]

Because Castles are some of the oldest things around, they are often privately owned or in the hands of historic organisations and are open to the public. I grew up living just down the road from a pretty badass castle (Rochester Castle to be exact) so I’ll have to go and do some filming at some point.

[@thebongmaster]

Nice one lads :)

[@Dog1eg]

Last time I was there it was dry on the ground levels. We found a tunnel that slopped down and got wetter the further in you went. The tunnel just went straight on and my torch couldn't see the end. That was more than 30 years ago though. There were huge flooded areas open to the environment even then. It was just all below ground level. Ahh happy days of old. Out of the other forts of Medway, Bridgewood and Borstal were my favourites for exploring covertly.

[@SubExploration]

Next week’s video we go into all of the flooded bit so you can see. Yes I used to enjoy exploring around Fort Borstal when I was around 13. Unfortunately the current owners down really let people in as I’d love to go in with a camera. Sadly, I never managed to see fort Bridgwood before it was demolished for the bloody post office.

[@skillian09]

I got into your channel a few days ago. So far I'm hooked. Been going through all of them from new to old. I love them all!! I'm from New York in the United states. You can explore way better places than here.

[@SubExploration]

Hi, thanks for checking us out. I think your the first to comment from New York 👍

[@skillian09]

Fuck yeah man. I'm a huge fan now!!!

[@sandraoshea3237]

very awesome and interesting.

[@SubExploration]

Thank you.

[@darthsidioustheemperor7976]

Awsum vid enjoyed you walking around and explaining what you could understand just got a sub from me 😁

[@SubExploration]

Thank you and welcome!

[@Lurgansahib]

That is one spooky damn place!

[@MrDamz]

I use to go there quite a bit 25 years ago. No security back then (well not much). Excellent site this one.

[@SubExploration]

👍

[@Tom-oo3vr]

It takes me all in all 5 seconds to get in spent the night there camping it was brillaint :)

[@672egalaxie6]

Very interesting explore...Dude looks like Bernard McGuirk.

[@dannyedsers]

Great fort. Ive done the lower levels, ropes no waders lol.. did take spare trainers but it got to deep and there was slug like things in the water, not leeches but enough to make my pals give up haha.. there use to be a big rope to climb up near the tower at the cement works. Got some wicked pics in an album. Spent the night there a couple of times exploring parties off our wallies. Probably not the best idea now but was a good one then. haha.. there is i think 2 smaller ones either side of that one, one was a fort type and ones a fortish building.

[@SubExploration]

Yeah i've seen photos of that place during a party. Lit up in all different colours 😂

[@dannyedsers]

@@SubExploration haha happy days... me and my mates see some crazy stuff one nite there, we was a bit worse for wear shall we say. But we all see the same thing and was dodging it and see each dodging it, Which was weird. I see someone curled up in a corner hiding and filthy dirty then vanish. The other thing was like the place came alive for a couple of seconds and someone went past me on an old bicycle. I dont believe in all that stuff and i did eat some funny biscuits so also could have been that for the last 2 but the one we all see i cant explain so easily. I dodged it and see it head to a friend and he moved to dodge it then another friend and he did the same. We all see the same thing and all interacted the same. It was a black entity, maybe a bloody bat and we all was to licked to focus i dunno but a great story and a great night haha..

[@raymondrace4837]

Good walk about! It has similarities to Fort Sumter in the colonies!🤣

[@jonathanavis5390]

This is thee video. Best one.

[@whollyspokes3645]

Nice one

[@horyzengaming3935]

I used to play in Cliffe Fort as a youth, i used to live in Cliffe Woods. i can see some of my old graffiti on the walls. We used to ride our motocross bikes in the Fort, never had fences around it back in those days.

[@horyzengaming3935]

We also used to have acid parties and raves in Cliffe Fort back in the late 80's and early 90's. On acid this place looks even more cool.

[@SubExploration]

People still have parties here ;-)

[@rossstenner4402]

11:06 Could the iron tube & large hole be the remains of the retractable OP for the Brennan torpedo installed in one of the 9" gun magazines 15:30 Iron brackets either side of the embrasure & the heavy rails above would have supported woven rope mantlets which were to reduce splinters entering the casemate if an enemy ship managed to hit near the embrasure. The guns in the casemates would have been RML's [rifled muzzle loading] recoiling into the casemate far enough to be loaded then run out to fire. In an 11 inch RML gun cartridges containing between 50 & 85 lbs of gunpowder depending upon type of shell & whether it was a 'full' or 'battering' charge. They fired ‘Common shell’ weighing 536 lbs or ‘Palliser shell’ [early armour piercing] containing a 6 lb 7 oz bursting charge & weighing 535 lbs 15 oz in all.

[@SubExploration]

Thats a good theory. The large hole is in line with the torpedo rails.

[@Ms_Davina]

If you ever visit Hurst Castle (the Fort on Hurst Spit, open to the public) down at Milford On Sea, you can see guns in place with the woven shrapnel protection. Tudor bastion, with artillery fort built around it, and WW2 add-ons... Well worth a visit.

[@jacobgrumbridge4389]

Nerd

[@oldedominion8782]

I can't believe you guys went in there without climbing rope. And the obligatory 10' pole ;)

[@paulbelcher7059]

Why would 8 people give a thumbs down? That was really good. Places like this come to me in nightmares. What a bruising structure. Trouble with france so how long would that have taken to build? Surely you'd say. "Look, I appreciate we need fortification at this place but it will take ten years to build and fit out, it will cost a fortune in materials and labour and by the time we're done building and manning it we could well be besties with the frogs, so...tent fort anybody?" Also, what's the 'magazine level?"

[@SubExploration]

We used French POW's to build a lot of these old things so that kept the cost down 😂 The magazine level is below the gun emplacement and I were the ammunition and charges would have been stored. You can see it this coming Friday.

[@paulbelcher7059]

@@SubExploration cheers fella. Loving your channel. Literally immersing yourself in the history is compelling. And now i remember that Dartmoor prisin was also built by the french wasn't it? That is one imposing lump too. A truly daunting sight.

[@dandesjardins2552]

Thanks Simon and Badger 🍻

[@markcherriman6136]

I'm a vollenteer at a fort at Milford Haven , Chapel bay Fort , it's well worth a look if you're ever in this part of the country , look it up . Lots of other dissused forts etc to explore in the area .

[@SubExploration]

I've just had a quick google. You guys do have a lot of forts! :-D

[@raymondgill9796]

I am fascinated by these sorts of places. I am puzzled that if a person falls on a mountain and breaks a leg it is almost a badge of honour, yet if the same happens on a man made structure we try to block it off or demolish it. Maybe it hurts more to break a leg on a manmade structure. What is the difference between a trespasser and an explorer? Answer the school they went to.

[@timbateman7202]

A very interesting points to bring up. I like your thinking bud. Never thought of it that way.

[@christopherfranklin972]

Well done guys,it's a shame that our heritage is allowed to disintegrate while the new 'owners' profit from the resource and are not compelled to make any effort to keep the site intact.Fascinating to see those casemates and the Brennan torpedo launch area.Many thanks for all your efforts to record this.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

The more modern 'tube' was near certain an ammo lift for the WW2 guns. As for 'tensions' it seems all of Europe had them. Go to Guernsey and see military enplacements on average every 500 metres. Though for probably 500 years of various wars. The Germans went overboard during WW2.

[@RetroRatz]

Liked video and subscribed

[@SubExploration]

Thank you and welcome!

[@droomonsta]

When I went there I just walked passed the aggregates place and hopped up a 4 foot wall at the corner. Got a pic of me peeing out of the window on the corner that appears to have no roof now (21:57). Go in summer, it's much nicer, loads of dragonflies wtc

[@andrewbaker6615]

Plenty of death traps guys please be careful love your work nice video.

[@Marcosvlogs847]

Nice the best

[@ashenverdict]

Very impressive, the security is military personnel and police from the training facility just along the coast, they use the area for training as well. Also where the hell did you park? If you look across the Thames you see Coalhouse Fort, its in better condition and worth a visit too.

[@SubExploration]

We had to park miles away. Good long walk this one.

[@DMWBN3]

Fella with the glasses at the stare looks like the lad from This is England.

[@miskee11]

It's a shame the level of dilapidation and vandalization makes it difficult to imagine how it used to look like during its golden days before there were paved roads and cars around... This building is from the haydays of the Victorian era, a really prosperous time for the country of Great Britain. Back in the 1860s the national income per person grew by half due to industrialization and global trade. In America, they fought the civil war and lived through the peak days of the Wild West era. The great Russian writers Tolstoy and Dostoevsky wrote War & Peace and Crime & Punishment. In China, the last imperial dynasty was still in power (Qing China), and the Ottoman Empire was deemed the "sick man of Europe" due to their troubled economy. Dynamite was invented, helium was discovered and Mendeleev came up with the modern periodic table. But, alas, all great men, important buildings and even vast empires fall as the inexorable march of time keeps its stride. This building is now just another broken, old, abandoned and defunct piece of history, riddled with graffiti sprayed by the inhabitants of our dying era.

[@ripdrybone1233]

Looks like a place you stumble apon during a Zombie Apocalypse, automatic shelter yo!

[@fornicateu2]

Disused kids playground basically, here in the N.E we had sound mirrors and a false hill with a 'farmhouse' half a mile away, the farmhouse and hill were linked by a tunnel but this was always flooded, we gained access by climbing down ventilation shafts, I was around 11 years old at the time, I took my own kids up there in the late nineties after returning to the area as I'd noticed antennas had been positioned on the housings for the vent shafts only to be chased off by security guards, it was a WW2 radar station as far as I can determine. Is that Sergent Bilko with you for protection, I almost didn't spot him in the camo gear.

[@terencehayes4181]

great video

[@SubExploration]

Thank you

[@thehornster]

I live near it, been in it myself!

[@olliethegas]

Another great video guys, keep them coming, thanks :)

[@DjGlenJon]

hell ion earth lads got in here easyyyyyyy about two weeks ago. not watched it yet but i presume il learn something about the place from you

[@SubExploration]

Yeah they did. I wouldn’t say easy tho, they didn’t show everything 🤣 They also decided to take the riskiest route ever lol I’m surprised they weren’t caught. I spoke with them after they put the video out. They will let me know if they need any decent local advise the next time they are down in Kent 😉👍

[@dyko96]

Love this place, shame it's such a pain to get in now :/

[@penguinnumbers]

I actually live in cliffe the village nearby, from what i remember the kid just broke his legs. There are alot of nice historical abandoned buildings on the marsh, including old lime kilns and a munitions factory from WW1

[@horyzengaming3935]

I also lived in the Cliffe area, the kid just broke his legs, no one ever died there. I remember we used to have raves in Cliffe Fort, how times change.

[@scc970]

Fortress gun mounts often had sliding carriages that allowed muzzle loading from within the casemates once the barrels had recoiled.

[@SubExploration]

Nice 👌

[@oddballdynamics.9658]

That would have made a great tourist attraction. There is a fort like this, not as big, near where I live on a small island “Ship Island” that use to protect the mouth of the Mississippi River from enemy ships. It’s a great place to visit.

[@SubExploration]

I've just googled it. Nice looking fort that 👍

[@harrowtiger]

Can you imagine the noise when the guns fired inside those gun rooms. Blood, snot and other fluids and solids would come out of your body orifices. Greetings from Down Under for a great video, thankyou.

[@SubExploration]

I think that blood and snot are not the main worry. Things that should come out solid but quickly come out as a liquid would be my main concern 🤣

[@pauloneill9965]

3yrs that's some wait to try explore adventure document another piece of military history. So many of these sites spots you blink there destroyed. Military history dosent seem have a value unless something big occurred there. Cool spot very important position very important location as can tell by size type armourments it held. Another relic history left to rot decay by state. Take care cheers and many regards from Ireland 👍🇮🇪☘

[@tonydouque3240]

"Stealthily evading security" meanwhile the place is covered in graffiti

[@motts458]

Great video. Too bad you couldn't make it up to any of the towers with the owners right there. Hopefully you do it during the night exploration

[@SubExploration]

We go into the flooded underground bit in this Friday's vid.

[@0richbike]

ironwork at each side of the emplacements...magazine hoists?

[@SubExploration]

Maybe.

[@1220b]

Explored ciffe in the 80s and 90s. Also carried out a archaeological survey. I know Cliffe well.... My uncle was killed at Cliffe fort in WW1. Also the approach road was used as a location in Full metal jacket.

[@SubExploration]

Wow so you must know the fort well if you did all that. A shame to hear about your uncle. Yeah i'm aware of Kubricks work in the area 😉

[@1220b]

@@SubExploration I know it's very a dangerous place. I've been involved in Military archaeology for 30 years. And even earned a living doing so.. I've been to places which are ruins and hidden beyond belief . But Cliffe is the one I feel least safe going to. Still its a great location.

[@2010dame]

that place its amazing look how thick those walls are..... its a massive place overall never understand why these kinda places just get left to rot after so much work obviously went into making them . just sad at how time just devours everything

[@SubExploration]

Would cost too much to maintain :-(

[@reecemartin453]

be good to see that be done up.

[@SubExploration]

It would but the cost would be too high and no one would take on the project.