As the Dockyard at Chatham grew in size and strategic importance during the early years of the 18th century, the need to provide land defences was recognised.

In 1709 the government passed Acts to purchase the land needed to build the fortifications. A provisional scheme was drawn up in 1715, but then shelved.

A hasty scheme of field works was built around the Dockyard as a result of a French invasion scare in 1756.

The French continued to pose a threat to the Dockyard in the 1780's, so plans were drawn up to rebuild the Chatham Lines and to provide brick lined ditches and permanent brick ramparts.  Both ends of the fortifications were anchored with strong, well fortified redoubts.  The redoubt at the southern end was named Amherst Redoubt after Sir Jeffrey Amherst, Commander of the British forces in America who had earlier defeated the French in Canada.

Amherst Redoubt was further strengthened through the addition of Spur and Prince Williams Batteries, and Guardhouses and bridges protecting the roadways were extensively rebuilt.  In 1785 the armament of the Fort was 190 cannon manned by an artillery garrison of 700 with extra infantry support provided from Infantry Barracks within the Lines.

By 1812 all threat of invasion had passed and the Fort became a training facility for siege warfare overseen by the Royal Engineers.  In 1865, the defence of the Dockyard was provided by a series of detached forts on the outskirts of the Medway Towns.  Fort Amherst was saved from destruction and development because of the useful and extensive tunnel complex under the hillside upon which the Fort is built.

During WWI and WWII the Fort provided locations for anti aircraft guns whilst the tunnels were converted into a civil defence control centre and military anti-invasion HQ.  After the War, the Fort was allowed to become overgrown and neglected.  The Fort was scheduled as an Ancient Monument in 1959 and sold to the Fort Amherst & Lines Trust in 1981.

The Amherst Heritage Centre, an education charity, was created in January 2005 and is proud to be based at Fort Amherst with the objective of promoting heritage to young people.

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