▁Catherine ▁of ▁Arag on ; ▁and ▁Bishop ▁Nicholas ▁R id ley , ▁executed ▁by ▁Queen ▁Mary ▁for ▁being ▁an ▁English ▁Re formation ▁protest ant . ▁ ▁The ▁city ▁was ▁ra ided ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Ang lo - D utch ▁War . ▁ ▁The ▁Dutch , ▁commanded ▁by ▁Admir al ▁de ▁Ru ij ter , ▁broke ▁through ▁the ▁chain ▁at ▁Up nor ▁and ▁sa iled ▁to ▁Ro chester ▁Bridge ▁capt uring ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁fleet ▁and ▁burning ▁it . ▁ ▁Military ▁history ▁ ▁Ro chester ▁has ▁for ▁centuries ▁been ▁of ▁great ▁strateg ic ▁importance ▁through ▁its ▁position ▁near ▁the ▁confl u ence ▁of ▁the ▁Th ames ▁and ▁the ▁Med way . ▁Ro chester ▁Castle ▁was ▁built ▁to ▁guard ▁the ▁river ▁crossing , ▁and ▁the ▁Royal ▁D ock yard ' s ▁establishment ▁at ▁Ch ath am ▁witness ed ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ' s ▁long ▁period ▁of ▁supre m acy . ▁The ▁town , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁Med way , ▁is ▁surrounded ▁by ▁two ▁circles ▁of ▁for tr esses ; ▁the ▁inner ▁line ▁built ▁during ▁the ▁Napole onic ▁wars ▁consists ▁of ▁Fort ▁Clar ence , ▁Fort ▁Pitt , ▁Fort ▁Am her st ▁and ▁Fort ▁G illing ham . ▁The ▁outer ▁line ▁of ▁Pal mer ston ▁Fort s ▁was ▁built ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s ▁in ▁light ▁of ▁the ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁Royal ▁Commission ▁on ▁the ▁Def ence ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁consists ▁of ▁Fort ▁Bor stal , ▁Fort ▁Bridge wood , ▁Fort ▁L