Tilbury Fort

School Visits

Bring the curriculum to life and inspire your students. Learn how Tilbury Fort has protected London’s seaward approach from the 16th century through to the Second World War.

“The trip gave the pupils a fantastic opportunity to embrace their local history."

Teacher, KS2 

Curriculum Links

Support your teaching in the classroom by stepping out of it. A visit to Tilbury Fort will help you bring learning to life, covering multiple topics across the curriculum and key stages.

  • KS1 History: Significant historical events, people and places in your own locality
  • KS2 History: Study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
  • KS2-3 History: A local history study
  • KS3 Maths: Geometry and measures
  • KS3 Design and Technology: Analyse the work of past and present professionals and others to develop and broaden understanding 
  • KS3 Geography: Human and physical geography
  • KS3 History: Ideas, political power, industry and Empire: Britain 1745-1901

Free Self-Led Visits

Book a free self-led visit to Tilbury Fort and organise your day to suit your curriculum objectives.

Discover the site where Queen Elizabeth I famously rallied her army nearby to face the threat of the Armada. One of the best examples of its type in England, explore the magazine houses used to store vast quantities of gunpowder or enter the bastion magazine passages and feel what it was like for the soldiers who lived here.

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Plan Your Trip

We have a wide range of materials to support your visit and make school trip planning easy. You can find all our site-specific information and tools below, and for Covid-19 risk assessments and measures we’ve got in place please visit our what to expect page.

Download our free resources to help you make the most out of your visit and create unique learning experiences before, during and after your trip. We also offer free planning visits once you have made a booking, plus a 20% discount on the official English Heritage guidebook for your place of choice.

Once you book your visit you’ll be sent a visit permit, which you’ll need to bring with you on the day.

Visit our bookings page to start planning your trip!

  • Facilities
    • PARKING: Free parking in front of fort. Further parking available adjacent to World's End Public House. No specific spaces allocated for coaches or minibuses. 
    • TOILETS: Toilets, including an accessible toilet, available.
    • LUNCH: No dedicated lunch space, but groups are welcome to picnic in the grounds.
    • SHOP: Small shop offering a range of souvenirs.
    • EDUCATION ROOM or BAG STORAGE: Education Room available for use as a bag drop and learning space. This must be reserved at the time of booking.
    • ACCESSIBILITY: Level access to exhibition, magazines, fort square and some underground workings. Grounds have steep slopes or steps to ramparts and some gun emplacements. Staircases to the Chapel and Gatehouse are steep. Shop accessed via three steps. There is uneven grass, gravel or cobble stones surfaces. Handrails are available across the site. There are audio instillation transcripts.
    • WET WEATHER: The site is mainly outdoors with some cover. Education room can be used for wet weather shelter if available.
  • Hazard Information

    A useful tool to help with your risk assessments.

    You must meet the following ratios for leaders to students on the day of your visit when booking, and if your group is forming smaller groups while at the site:

    • Ages 4-5 (UK Reception) 1 leader for every 4 students (1:4)
    • Ages 5-7 (UK Key Stage 1) 1 leader for every 6 students (1:6)
    • Ages 7-11 (UK Key Stage 2) 1 leader for every 10 students (1:10) and
    • Ages 11-18 (UK Key Stages 3, 4, and 5) 1 leader for every 15 students (1:15)
    • For an adult learning group, consisting of individuals all over the age of 18, there are no ratios but there must be an appointed group leader
    • All ratios outlined above apply to home education groups
    • If your group consists of children aged 3 and/or 4, you must also refer to the Early Years and Foundation Stage Statutory Framework which sets out specific legal requirements for minimum ratios for this age group, to include requirements about the qualifications of the leaders
    • SEND groups must meet the minimum ratios above but may bring any additional leaders as required to adequately support their group
  • Education Site Opening Times

    We offer free self-led education visits during school term time*. 

    *Free education visits are not offered on UK public holidays or during the operation of additional fee paying public events at English Heritage sites.

    • April-October: Wednesday-Sunday 10-5pm
    • November-March: Saturday-Sunday 10-4pm

Learning Resources

  • Teaching Tudors and Stuarts

    This guide to teaching Tudors and Stuarts includes advice from our educational experts and historians as well as suggested activities to try with your students in the classroom or on a school trip. 

  • Teaching the Victorians

    Use historical information, learning activities and tips from our historians, curators and educational experts to support your teaching of the Victorians.

  • Teaching the 20th Century

    Use historical information, learning activities and tips from our historians, curators and educational experts to support your teaching of 20th century history.

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