WHPS facilitate free monthly tours of the Drop Redoubt for people wishing to see the fort and learn a bit about its history and features from our own knowledgeable guides.
Please note these are for Drop redoubt Fort only, we do not offer tours of the Grand Shaft staircase which is open for self guided visits as per our calendar page.
These must be pre-booked directly through us at whpstours@gmail.com.
Dates Third Sunday of every month April – September. Please check the calendar for availability as sometimes these may conflict with our events (particularly in July and September) and may not therefore be available some months but our calendar page will be updated regularly.
Times The tours start at 1100 and 1400 and usually last for approximately 2.5 to 3 hours although you can choose to leave earlier if you wish. A volunteer will escort you back to the entrance door on request as the external door has to remain locked whilst on site for security reasons.
Cost WHPS do not charge for these tours although if you enjoy the tour and the information provided we would welcome a donation towards the work of the Society. All money raised goes directly back into our work as none of our committee or volunteers take any type of financial reward for their time.
You can make a donation safely online at our GoFundMe page or we welcome cash donations on the day.
Availability Tours are currently restricted to a maximum of 25 visitors per tour for safety and comfort reasons and must be booked in advance. Unbooked visitors may be refused access if tours are full.
Finding the Site, Parking and Where to Meet.
The Fort itself is along Drop Redoubt Road, W3W lecturers.dairy.swept. However, we kindly ask that you please do not park along Drop Redoubt Road as it will prevent access to emergency vehicles, should that necessity arise.
Please note that the house (Beechcroft) at the top of the road is not part of the accessible Western Heights and is private property. We ask you to kindly respect our neighbours privacy and not park across their drive or approach their property.
Parking is available in St. Martin’s car park along South Military Road CT17 9DW, which is only a few minutes’ walk from Drop Redoubt Road. W3W Overt.basics.roost
Once you are in Drop Redoubt Road, follow it until you come to a fork in the road with a cattle grid ahead of you and a small slope up on your left. Take the small slope up to your left and follow the pathway until you come to a small tunnel on your left. Please do not go through this tunnel; kindly wait here for your tour guide. W3W migrants.lifeboats.emerald
Photography Visitors are welcome to take video, photographs and utilise photographic opportunities with our re-enactors when they are present. Please note that we do not allow the use of drones or other aerial recording devices within the fort for safety & legal reasons (the Fort is part of the ‘no fly’ zone extending from the Port of Dover).
Disability access We regret that due to the nature of the site and the access difficulties the Drop Redoubt is not suitable for wheelchair access or visitors with limited mobility. Access to the ditches requires walking through a short small tunnel with very limited headroom for approx. 3-4 feet (after which it opens up to full height again). There are steps into the fort and access to the vast majority of the fort requires navigating at least 70 steps.
Weather – The tour of Drop Redoubt begins outside the fort and involves a short walk to the sallyport (door). Once inside the fort the tour encompasses a mixture of inside and outside areas and will involve exposure to inclement weather so coats are advisable if rain is likely. It is unlikely that we will cancel tours but if we need to, we will endeavour to notify you via the booking email you provided as soon as possible.
Toilets There are no facilities on site at the Drop Redoubt fort or the surrounding area.
Refreshments There are no refreshment facilities on site and visitors are encouraged to bring any food/drink they may require with them.
Site specific The Drop Redoubt is a Napoleonic structure and listed scheduled ancient monument. There are numerous steep drops, grass banks, hidden trip hazards and areas of loose brickwork. Safety signs and temporary barriers are installed to protect visitors and we ask you to respect them as they are for your safety. Your tour guide will accompany you throughout the tour and you are asked to remain in their vicinity at all times. It is important that the group stays together to enable the guides to adequately protect visitors.
Children We welcome visitors of all ages but children must be carefully supervised due to the nature of the site (see site specific info above). The site is not suitable for pushchairs. Visitors are welcome to leave them at the entrance although WHPS cannot accept responsibility for their supervision or loss of left items.
Pets Dogs are welcome on site as long as they remain on a lead and under control. Owners are required to clear up after their pets and should be aware that when re-enactments are taking place they may involve very loud firing.