Allhallows: Coast and History

Allhallows brings together a listed parish church, sites of military history and a longer coastal walk. This offers different focuses when choosing a destination: architectural history, evidence from the Second World War and the stretch of coast between Allhallows and Cliffe. The area’s history can be explored through both its buildings and changes to the coastal landscape.

Church and fort: different building histories

The Church of All Saints in Allhallows is a Grade I listed parish church. Ewan Christian restored it from 1886 to 1891. Grade I status is a permanent national heritage designation; the restoration adds a specific building phase with clear dates. Slough Fort offers a different perspective on building history: the Victorian fort is near Allhallows, overlooking the Thames. The focus is therefore on a parish church and a fort, with different types of construction and use. If you include the history of the buildings in your travel plans, you can compare the church’s dated restoration with the fort’s Victorian classification.

Military remains and coastal change

The site of a QF P-Series oil decoy target from the Second World War is in Allhallows on the Hoo Peninsula and dates from 1940 to 1941. Allhallows pillbox connects military history with a changing landscape: it now stands on the beach, but was once on dry land. Its visible base is being undermined by tidal action. This structure is therefore notable not only for its function as a pillbox, but also for the way its location has changed in relation to the coast.

A field observation dated 28 January 2007 describes a Type 24 concrete bunker about 30 metres out in the Thames, north of Allhallows on the Isle of Grain. This location distinguishes the bunker from the sites within Allhallows itself. Together, these details point to different historical and geographical reference points: a target from the Second World War, a pillbox on a shoreline location that has since changed, and a bunker in the river north of the area.

The coastline as a focus in its own right

A stretch of coast more than 20 kilometres long can be walked between Allhallows and Cliffe without passing another coastal village or a car park along the way. This route covers a different scale from exploring individual buildings and can be planned as a focus in its own right. If you would like to include this walk, take into account both its length and the absence of the mentioned stopping points along the way. This can help you decide whether the longer coastal route or the historical sites should be the main focus of your stay.

To reach Slough Fort by car, take the route via The Brimp. Check these directions before your visit. When looking for a hotel in Allhallows, you can first decide whether to focus your trip more on architectural history and military sites or on the long stretch of coast.

Discover more destinations: Gillingham, High Halstow, Rochester, Chatham, Strood, Chattenden, Isle of Grain

See the main travel overview: Medway.