Access & Travel

Travel and Parking

 

• Free parking is available in the Coalhouse Fort Park car park. Princess Margaret Road, East Tilbury, RM18 8PB. Please do not park on the street in the village. Do not block drives or access for others. 

• Additional parking is available further up Princess Margaret Road, next to the Bata War Memorial RM18 8NX, approx 30 minutes walk from the Fort. 

• Please be aware that there is a level crossing on Princess Margaret road, that has goods trains passing through that can take up to 30 mins, as well as scheduled passenger trains, and the gates can sometimes act-up - make sure to allow extra time for your journey so you don’t get stuck waiting!  

• There can sometimes be issues with traffic passing the tip on Buckingham Hill Road - make sure to allow additional time in your journey, or come in a different way if preferred.

• Roadworks, including works on the Lower Thames Crossing can impact travel. Check here for information in current and planned works: https://one.network/uk/thurrock

• The nearest railway station is East Tilbury, approx 45 mins walk from the Fort. 

• The Central Connect 375 bus, running between Grays and Horndon on the Hill, stops at Coalhouse Fort. Runs Monday - Saturday at 2-3 hour intervals, from 7am to 7pm. No service on Sundays or Bank Holidays. For times of the next bus at Coalhouse Fort SMS/text THUDPWA 84268. Live tracking is also available by downloading the myTripp app (where you can also buy tickets). For timetable search here for 375: https://www.central-connect.co.uk/timetables/ 

• There is a bicycle storage rack located near the Coalhouse Fort Car Park.

• For an interesting walk or cycle, the Two Forts Way runs along the thames shoreline between Tilbury Fort and Coalhouse Fort. Be aware that this isn’t a dedicated cycle path, so cyclists must give way to, and be mindful of pedestrians.

 

Access information

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Accessibility is core to the plans for re-animation of the Fort, and we will be running level(ish) access activities as part of this commission, but please note that access to the Fort is currently limited for many activities. Unless an activity is designated as level(ish) access, there is no level access to the site. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any access questions.

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• Entrance to the Fort interior is through a small gate with a raised step. 

• We have a (heated) room to meet in. This is at the top of an uneven staircase, and there are other staircases on the tour, along with rough and uneven ground.  

• While there are no toilets in the Fort, there are toilets in the cafe just outside the gate, and all activity will take place while those toilets are open (10:00 - 15:15).

• There is an accessible toilet in the toilet block - full info on dimensions here: https://www.accessable.co.uk/thurrock-council/access-guides/coalhouse-fort-park (note this includes info about Fort opening times which no longer apply, and handrails which are no longer in place). There is no Changing Places toilet on site.

• The activity will take place outdoors and indoors, so please wear clothing and footwear/wheels appropriate for the weather and uneven ground.

• Photographs of the terrain can be found here.

• There is mould and dust in the Fort.

• There will be a brunch break. There is an excellent cafe by the gate, the Engine Tearoom. Please order in advance by using the information provided when booking. Menus here. You are also welcome to bring your own brunch, flask etc. 

• Please bring your own drinking water - there is no tap in the Fort.

• Please protect the lives of team, visitors and their families who are immune-suppressed, and the livelihoods of freelancers, and do not attend if you are knowingly infectious e.g. with a cold, covid, stomach bug. You might not feel too bad, but it could impact someone else much more seriously.

• Most activities will be delivered in English, and you are welcome to create in any language or combination. Exploring English as a second language is welcome in this space, as is creating in any tradition or style. All ways of speaking, creating, writing, communicating are welcome.

• If activity or information in languages other than English would be useful for you, please let me know. I will actively seek provision for this where there is a need, and if I can’t this time will seek it in future and also pass on the request to the Engagement Manager. (For example BSL activity was requested, so we arranged BSL tours). It’s just little old me at the moment so my capacity and resource is limited, but I will always actively follow this up, including long-term.   

• If you have access needs requiring access to power for charging devices etc, please get in touch before attending. There are no charging facilities on site, but we may be able to support if we know in advance.

• There is limited mobile phone coverage on site. 

 

Level(ish) Access Activities

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Activities designated as level(ish) are as near to level-access as we can get with the Fort in its current condition. Level Access, lifts and other access features are key to plans for re-animation. 

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• For these activities, the Fort main gates will be open, so there is wide access with no step. The ground is uneven on the threshold.

• Level-access matting was in place onto the parade ground, however this was in uneven condition, with some warping, and has been removed. The surface is comparably even to the warped matting. There are iron rails set into the path. The parade ground is rough ground. The transition between the path at the entrance and the parade ground is quite a lump, and may prove a problem (see  photographs of the terrain)

• There is an accessible toilet in the toilet block - full info on dimensions here: https://www.accessable.co.uk/thurrock-council/access-guides/coalhouse-fort-park (note this includes info about Fort opening times which no longer apply) There is no Changing Places toilet on site. The accessible toilet is at the end of a fairly narrow corridor - please check the photographs, and if you have any questions, get in touch.

• There is reasonably level access from the car park to the Fort, with good paths around Coalhouse Fort Park.​

• Photographs of the terrain can be found here​.

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If you have any questions, please contact Laura, using the information provided on booking, or the contact form below, allowing 48 hours to reply (I do not have internet onsite).