The National Trust

Built in 1898, Reigate Fort was never designed as a conventional armed stronghold. It was originally called a Mobilisation Centre, as its main role was to supply tools and ammunition to enable soldiers, volunteers and contractors to dig entrenched positions along a designated section of the North Downs. TQ257521

This building housed the tools required for entrenched warfare, including spades and pickaxes for digging the trenches and saws and axes for clearing trees from the firing lines. It also held coils of barbed wire to slow the enemy down and may have contained tents for the soldiers to sleep in. TQ257521

This building stored ammunition for muzzle loading and breech loading rifles, along with fuses and shells for heavy artillery guns. These big guns were located near Redhill. Special care was taken inside this building to prevent explosion and it was covered with earth to prevent damage from enemy shelling. TQ257521

Like the Tool Store, this building stored various entrenching tools. In the event of invasion, this underground building would have offered some protection from enemy shells and may even have been utilised as a war room, co-ordinating the defence and repelling the enemy. TQ257521