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Braced for invasion.
In 1793, the revolutionary government in Paris issued the infamous orders to execute King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Two weeks later, on 1 February, the French republic declared war on its implacable enemies in Britain and for the next decade the country braced itself for invasion.
The British defences were woefully inadequate, and in 1794 Parliament bought a large piece of land at Shorncliffe, near Sandgate in Kent – an obvious point for invasion by a French army. From this part of the coast, the locals could see the fires burning in Napoleon's camp, just 20 miles away, when he assembled his 'Army of England' after seizing power in France in 1799.
Colonel William Twiss, a military engineer given the task of fortifying this part of the coast, drew up plans for a grand redoubt at Shorncliffe. The site became the home of the Green Jackets, the rifle regiment formed in 1800, whose soldiers were trained to act as skirmishers during the Napoleonic wars; and the Light Infantry Brigades, who were trained by Sir John Moore.
Until this time, English troops had been trained under a regime of harsh discipline and deployed in rigid formations to confront the enemy with volleys of musket fire. The new light infantry troops were intelligent, active and hardy men, treated with respect by their officers. Sir John Moore became a national hero, whose skill in light infantry training is still recognised today.
Time Team investigated the history of the Shorncliffe Redoubt, piecing together how its design and use as a training ground for light infantry troops helped to develop the modern army and defend the coast against invasion by 'the old enemy'.
Unlike most Time Team digs, there was no shortage of maps, plans and other historic documents to guide the Team at Shorncliffe Redoubt. Indeed, the existence of one set of plans in particular posed something of a problem on this excavation. This was Colonel William Twiss's plans for the construction of the redoubt, which turned out to include a number of features that were never actually built.
Among these were a series of diamond-shaped buttresses on the outer wall, together with an underground munitions store situated outside the main walls for safety reasons and accessible via a tunnel from inside the redoubt. Time Team's diggers spent many long, cold hours over the first couple of days searching for these features before finally concluding that they didn't exist.
The search for Twiss's original structures inside the redoubt was also frustrating in many ways. A sequence of later buildings, dating from throughout the Victorian era up to the second world war, stood on the original foundations. These often reused earlier materials, making precise identification of the structures difficult. Little was left of the structures from Twiss's time other than their foundations and reused bricks, distinguishable from later bricks by the absence of a frog, or recess, on the larger face.
In combination with Stewart Ainsworth's map work, however, the excavations were able to determine which of Twiss's planned structures were completed. They also revealed the method of construction of the giant earthworks and ditches that made up this important fortification.
The site in general also turned up a wide range of military finds. Buttons, buckles, bullets, musket balls, even a second world war camp entertainment programme, all contributed to a rich haul of ephemera from the site where the British army began its transition into a modern fighting machine (see Rifles and black powder).
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third-party sites.
There was a dramatic and noisy reconstruction cameo for this programme, which saw Tony Robinson trying his aim with a Napoleonic-era rifle. So the Time Team website simply had to catch up with Christopher Shaw, a member of the 95th Rifles Regiment of Foot Re-enactment Society, to find out about black powder and his involvement with the preservation of the Shorncliffe Redoubt.
How did you get involved with Shorncliffe Redoubt?
I got involved because two years ago, as a member of the 95th Rifles Regiment of Foot Re-enactment Society, I was researching our regiment's past and I uncovered the whereabouts of the Rifles' birthplace thanks to eBay! I bought a copy of the original plans of the Redoubt and within 24 hours I was standing on the battlements looking towards France.
I also met local historian and author Michael George, whose book Coast of Conflict tells the story of the Redoubt. The Redoubt is in a very poor state and I decided then and there to save it.
What is so important about the Redoubt?
The Redoubt is the birthplace of light infantry tactics. In 1803, Sir John Moore realised that the new Green Jackets and their rifles could create a new edge to the standard 'Line them up and knock them down' tactics of the day. If he used them in conjunction with Redcoats, the Rifles could pin the enemy in place and with their superb accuracy, target the officers and NCOs of the foe and destroy the 'command and control' capability of the enemy. When the thin Redline engaged the now disorganised and demoralised opposition, there would be no leaders to rally the troops and the soldiers would rout and run away.
Sir John also realised that, due to the range of the Baker rifle, if the British army was retreating, the Riflemen and their devastatingly accurate fire would force any pursuing enemy to keep their distance and a low profile. This would allow the army to escape to fight another day.
Sir John and the Duke of Wellington used the Rifles and these tactics to great effect in the Peninsula during the Napoleonic wars.
We are currently discussing with the MoD to stop building on the site and let our society take over its care and restoration. It is a very long process and will require substantial funds. But this is one of the most important military sites in the UK, if not the world.
What materials did you require for the reconstruction cameo?
A Baker Rifle, black powder and a reliable flint. That and my sergeant, Adam Paylor, barking orders.
Oh, and Johnny Frenchman to aim at.
Was the weapon historically accurate?
The Baker rifle takes its name from the gun's designer, Ezekiel Baker. Its maintenance is very simple. I use a pricker [a long needle] and 'brush' to keep the vent hole clear and sweep powder residue from the pan; a small edged hammer to knap [sharpen the flint] and keep it sparking; and a 'crucifix' three-pointed screwdriver to remove the barrel and lock [firing mechanism] for cleaning, repairing or replacing.
Thanks to the start of the industrial revolution and mass production, locks and barrels were interchangeable and could be done by a well-trained Rifleman on the battlefield in minutes.
What steps are in the process?
To start we get the order to 'prime and load'. First, we remove a cartridge from our cartridge box and re-button the box. Then we pull the hammer back one click into the 'half-cocked position' and push the 'frizzen' forward.
I bite the top off the paper cartridge and pour a small amount of black powder into the pan and close the frizzen over it. I empty the rest of the black powder down the barrel, screw the cartridge into a ball and push it into the barrel. I remove the ramrod and ram the cartridge down the barrel and return the ramrod.
I then bring the gun to the port position. I receive the order 'Make ready'. On the order 'Present' I fully cock the hammer and bring the gun to my shoulder and the firing position. On the order 'Fire' I pull the trigger and death and destruction follows.
What was the hardest part of the reconstruction?
There was no real hard part. All the re-enactors are trained under military discipline and regulations. They are great fun to work with because as soldiers they will obey any order the film crew give them and want to give the director a good sequence for the camera.
Would you change anything if you did the reconstruction again?
Only that I would have liked to have shown a more detailed reconstruction of the light infantry tactics and drill developed by Sir John Moore on the site, which revolutionised army battle tactics and are still in use today.
Do you work in any other areas?
I'm chairman of the Shorncliffe Redoubt Preservation Society. Our aim is to take over the upkeep and development of the site, which is truly unique because it is home to Napoleonic fortifications, a first world war trench system and second world war Bren gun and mortar pits. Bernard Cornwell, author of the excellent Sharpe series, is our greatest supporter.
My re-enactment regiment (95th Rifles Regiment of Foot) works closely with the current British Army rifle regiment, the Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) and puts on battle displays for their members. The RGJ reformed in February 2007 and took back their original name 'The Rifles', which made them feared and respected by Napoleon's army 200 years ago.
I also run a company called Firepower Productions, which organises battle re-enactments, provides trained re-enactors to TV and film companies, and specialises in history-based documentaries.
I have just been immortalised in the PC game 'Napoleon II – Total War'. This is a mod for the excellent strategy computer game Total War'. The game developers The Lordz asked for video footage of a Rifleman priming, loading and firing his rifle so they could create an accurate figure on the battlefield. There are now thousands of me fighting through cyber-space.
Watched the programme, browsed the web pages? Now try our quick quiz to see how much you know about Napoleon's planned invasion of England.
In 1793, when the war with France started, the British army numbered 39,000 soldiers. How many soldiers did it have when the war finished in 1815?
264,000
164,000
64,000
In 1793, the British navy numbered 15,000 sailors. How many sailors did it have by 1810?
244,000
144,000
44,000
What was introduced for the first time in 1799 with a promise that it would be abolished when the war with France was won?
Conscription
Income tax
The passport
What was the name given to British riflemen by French troops?
Grasshoppers
Roastbeefs
Goddams
At which battle did Nelson 'turn a blind eye' to a signal from his commanding officer?
Trafalgar
Waterloo
Copenhagen
Which of these prisons was specially built for French prisoners of war?
Dartmoor
Pentonville
Holloway
Answers here.
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third-party sites.
Coast of Conflict: The story of the South Kent coast by Michael and Martin George (S B Publications, 2004) paperback £10.99
Coast of conflict is a social and military history of the south Kent coast that focuses on the period from the threat of invasion by Napoleon's vast army to the dark days of the Great War. Today's peaceful and picturesque panorama conceals a turbulent century, which has left its mark on the landscape and character of the area, from the army camp at Shorncliffe to the Martello Towers and the Royal Military Canal. But this book is about more than just bricks and mortar. The stories of the soldiers and civilians, often in their own words, take the reader back in time as the authors explore their triumphs and tragedies through 125 years of war and peace. There is also a companion website featuring the many illustrations used in the book.
Get this book
Britain and the French Revolution by Clive Emsley (Longman, 2000) £15.99
Provides an introduction to the impact of the French Revolution on Britain and discusses the works of Burke, Paine, Spence and Mary Wollstonecraft. Also looks at the causes and course of Britain's war with revolutionary France and the effects of the war on the home front – most notably, the recurrent, serious food shortages.
Get this book
The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era by Owen Connolly (Thompson Learning, 2000) £22.99
A general summary of the era, including the causes and consequences of the Revolution, with an emphasis on diplomatic and military accounts.
Get this book
The Age of Revolution 1789-1848 by E J Hobsbawm (Abacus, 1988) £12.99
Classic overview of the history of Europe during the era of the dual revolutions – the British industrial revolution and the French political revolution. Readable, informative and stimulating.
Get this book
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third-party sites.
Shorncliffe Redoubt Preservation Society
www.shornclifferedoubt.com
The Shorncliffe Redoubt Preservation Society's website includes some brief introductory material about the Redoubt, photos, a video of a local TV news report and a high-resolution image of an 1801 map of the site. It is planned to add more material, including copies of historic documents, in the near future.
Coast of Conflict
www.coastofconflict.com
Companion website to the book Coast of Conflict, this is a labour of love by the book's authors. They have assembled high-resolution galleries of the illustrations that appear in the book, organised by chapter and with explanatory captions. There are also additional features, including a special section tied in to the Time Team programme on Shorncliffe Redoubt, which features a gallery of 19th-century maps and plans.
95th Rifles Regiment of Foot Re-enactment Society
www.95thrifles.com
The 95th Rifles Regiment of Foot Re-enactment Society was responsible for the reconstruction cameo in the Shorncliffe programme. The society's official website includes a history of the 95th Rifles as well as information about the society, membership and activities.
Napoleon's invasion of England
www.napoleon.org/en/reading_room/
articles/files/
napoleon_england_partI.asp
Online article on Napoleon's abortive invasion of England.
In 1793, when the war with France started, the British army numbered 39,000 soldiers. How many soldiers did it have when the war finished in 1815?
264,000
In 1793, the British navy numbered 15,000 sailors. How many sailors did it have by 1810?
144,000
What was introduced for the first time in 1799 with a promise that it would be abolished when the war with France was won? Income tax
What was the name given to British riflemen by French troops?
Grasshoppers
At which battle did Nelson 'turn a blind eye' to a signal from his commanding officer?
Copenhagen
Which of these prisons was specially built for French prisoners of war?
Dartmoor