The threatened invasion of England by Napoleon in the summer of 1804 lead to the concentration of troops in East Kent.   Precautions included the building of the Hythe Canal and Martello Towers around the coast.   The main troop encampment was on Barham Down - but details are very limited and these details are almost all collected from information in the history of the Brigade of Guards and the Barham Church register.

• The first Brigade of Guards - consisting of I/1st Guards and 3/1st Guards (now known as the Grenadier Guards) left Chatham under the command of General Wynyard at the end of July 1904 - marching to Barham Downs where they remained until October when they were taken into barracks at Deal.   On 26th August the regiment was divided into two battalions.

• Barham Church records show a large number of baptisms of infants born at the camp during this time.   20 infants were accounted to the 18th Regiment of Foot, 9 infants to the 1st Guards Regiment and 5 to the 53rd Regiment of Foot.   A number of burials also took place, of soldiers encamped plus 3 infants- children of soldiers.   There was only one marriage of a soldier of the 53rd Regiment on 29th September 1804.

• The total troop numbers is not known for sure but their composition was: -

  I/1st Guards Regiment	- now Grenadier Guards
  3/1st Guards Regiment	- now Grenadier Guards
  I/18th Regiment of Foot	- late Royal Irish Regiment
  2/18th Regiment of Foot	- late Royal Irish Regiment
  I/53rd Regiment of Foot	- late Kings Shropshire Light Infantry
  2/53rd Regiment of Foot	- late Kings Shropshire Light Infantry
  2/61st Regiment of Foot	- late The Gloucestershire Regiment