The Maunsell Forts are a group of nine WW2 army and navy defence forts located off-shore near the South East coast of England. It is situated on Rough Sands, a sandbar located approximately 11 kilometres from the coast of Suffolk … The nation was called the Principality of Sealand but was never officially recognized by any other country as a nation. There was talk of constructing more of this type of fort off the Humber estuary as well as in the seaports of Portsmouth, Rosyth in Scotland, and Belfast and Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Their purpose was to provide anti-aircraft fire within the Thames Estuary area. [1] The forts were decommissioned in the late 1950s and later used for other activities including pirate radio broadcasting. This new custom Rust monument for your custom maps will bring an amazing new mid-tier monument out in the depths of the newman ocean that will bring you to loot or to death. Three more were placed at the mouth of the River Thames: It was reckoned that, during World War Two, the Thames estuary forts shot down 22 German aircraft and around 30 V-1 flying bombs. Learn from others who have done the same. The instinct to make large fortifications goes back thousands of years. Captain Alan was a 72 year old local boy from Kent who runs an extremely tight ship. It still has 6000 tonnes of explosives on board, with. As a result, he had a good understanding of an integrated approach to design and construction coupled with a comprehension of the unique needs of the military. The Maunsell Forts are armed towers built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries during the Second World War to help defend the United Kingdom. There’s no way to climb on to them unless you’re willing to do some volunteer work through Project Redsand CIO. There’s an urban explorer blog (28 Days Later) which shows photos of rooms inside the legs (these are filled with Greenpeace gear and 50s pin up posters). The Maunsell Forts are offshore defence forts which protected the UK from aircraft attack during WW2. ... Although things are no longer that simple, which as always we will get to later. The Maunsell towers were constructed to help gunners shoot down opposition aicrafts. Verlassene OrteAbandoned BuildingsMaunsell FortsMilitärs BilderKriegsmaschine They are truly bizarre looking structures, which look like they belong in a sci fi film. Maunsell Forts: The full story behind the bizarre abandoned structures off the east Kent coast; ... Medway was an important military location for the country with Chatham Dockyard then in its prime. 2021 trips to the Maunsell Forts - History up close! Captain Alan took the time to speak to everyone on board the sailing. Shivering Sands Fort – a Maunsell army defence Fort, built in 1943. Two of the four Navy forts in or around the Thames still survive today. The sailings take place on occasional days between April and October and they cost between £69 and £89. They also achieved one naval victory: the sinking of a Kriegsmarine E-boat (a fast torpedo armed light attack craft). They were very much larger than the Navy Forts. "The Thames Estuary Army Forts were constructed in 1942 to a design by Guy Maunsell, following the successful construction and deployment of the Naval Sea Forts. What a baptism of fire for a teenage DJ! Description Maunsell Sea Forts. They were built during the Second World War at the mouth of the Mercy and Thames rivers. X. I’m so happy you like it Fariba. But sea fortifications were going to prove their worth, particularly around the Thames (London) and the Mersey (Liverpool) estuaries, where there were two main problems. These forts were the idea of Guy Anson Maunsell, a highly innovative civil engineer who had worked on a range of civil engineering projects in the UK and abroad, including in 1931, the widening of Putney Bridge. There was no attempt to destroy or dismantle them. X-Pilot is the Project Redsand CIO, UK registered charity No.1172590, Official Supply Vessel. (I found out that The Prodigy filmed a video here in 2008. One of the Forts on this site is now accessible with the help of a winch. My favourite Fort was Shivering Sands, partly because of the pirate radio history that Bob told us about. Would you like to get a free copy of my new eBook, Become location independent over 40? The sea forts are located about 11 km from the Suffolk coast and there are boat tours organized with departure from Whitstable Harbour. The Captain of the boat mentioned it to us). The Maunsell Forts are a group of nine WW2 army and navy defence forts located off-shore near the South East coast of England. X-pilot can organise local accommodation for you to enable you to make the 8.45am sailing. I’m not going to lie to you – these Forts are not easy to access… there are no Instagrammers at dawn here! Red Sands had had some investment thanks to the charity’s efforts to restore it. This allows army trainees and film companies to access on a regular basis. The fort was also aided by a large and complex radar installation perched on the very top of a tall central bunker which housed the following: The whole structure weighed around 4,500 tonnes and had a crew of 120 sailors. Ships passing in the English Channel. Destinations / October 6, 2019 by Samantha / 4 Comments. Red Sands is one of two remaining Maunsell sea forts built by the army in the Thames estuary, and during World War II it housed six anti-aircraft guns. Guy Maunsell was a civil engineer and an expert in the new field of prestressed concrete. The initial requirement was for a set of Naval Forts further out to sea than the Army forts. After the war, the forts became the headquarters for pirate radio stations. The Maunsell Sea Forts: The Maunsell Forts were small fortified towers built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries during the Second World War to help defend the United Kingdom. From there we sailed over to Shivering Sands Fort. Designed by Guy Maunsell the fort was put in place on the Rough Sands to guard the approaches to the Thames Estuary and the entrance to Harwich harbor, some eight miles away. Four towers were armed with QF 3.75 inch guns arranged in a semicircle ahead of the control centre and accommodation tower. The 6 hour tours of the Thames estuary commence at Whitstable Harbour, just seven miles north of Canterbury. And their fate? This 4,500 ton artificial naval installation is similar in some respects to "fixed" offshore oil platforms. The 94mm could fire around 15 rounds a minute up to a height of 45,000 feet (13,716 meters). This WW1 Battle was like Something out of a Horror Movie, Live Like a Bond Villain, 3 Remote Napoleonic-Era Forts For Sale, Eleven Military Uniforms That Got Soldiers Killed, French Couple Discovered WWII Cache of Weapons Hidden in Their Home, The Highest-Scoring Female Fighter Ace Ever: The Short but Daring Life of Lydia Litvyak, Exploring the wreck of the Bismarck – and it is in remarkable condition, RIP ‘Wild Geese’ Star and Battle-Hardened Veteran Ian Yule. All three Liverpool bay forts were demolished by 1955 as they were deemed to be a hazard to shipping. The Maunsell Forts were constructed during the second world war for defense. ... Fort Darnet was built on the other end of the Medway creating a bottlehead defence. This was the home for a pirate radio station in the mid 60s, called Radio City. The World War Two Thames Navy forts where the first forts to be set in place in the North Sea and Sealand at the time known as Fort U1 was the very first of them. » Underground Kent - Maunsell Army Sea Forts history. Built seven miles off the Kent coast near Whitstable, they later hosted pirate radio stations in the 1960s, transmitting pop hits deemed too risque for Britain's then-monopoly broadcaster the BBC. But this never happened. The days of trekking through the water with little to no rewards are over! Given that there are 11 structures on just Shivering Sands and Redsands, it seems like a valiant but futile battle against entropy. In this post I will show you how to safely view them with the help of a local boat tour company, X-Pilots. In the 1960s, several of the Forts were used as bases for pirate radio stations. Book in advance: only 12 people are permitted per sailing, and places sell quickly. Four of the new structures became Navy Forts run by the Admiralty. The sea forts of Maunsell are one of the most unusual military installations, that are by fate in ruins. and the huge 280-mile long French Maginot line proved that large static defenses could be quickly over-run or bypassed. The energy supply goes directly to households in Kent. Tongue Sands (U3) 4. Outnumbered 10 to 1: German Paratroopers Took Down Belgian Fortress Eben-Emael. He had served in the Royal Engineers in World War One. The Maunsell forts are small sea forts built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries during WWII. Each of these forts carried four heavy 94mm and two light Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns, so they were slightly better armed than the naval-designed forts. The Maunsell Army and Navy forts were built and placed in the Thames Estuary in 1942 to help protect London from airstrikes and sea raids during World War II. These buildings were the beginnings of what we would come to think of as traditional castles. Non-regular services are also offered by X-Pilot but you need to call to inquire about the dates the boat goes to … Every single structure on each Fort site will take at least £1m of investment to make safe again. It’s inhabited by a family who have claimed it as an independent state, which they’ve called Sealand. The maximum ceiling of a German Heinkel III was only 21,000 feet (6,400 meters). Construction started on them in 1942, and they were all completed by 1943. Sunk Head (U2) 3. In Britain, during the Iron Age (about 800 BC to AD 100), they made giant hill forts like Maiden Castle in Dorset, England that ended up covering 47 acres. Knock John (U4) The design was a concrete construction; a pontoon barge on which stood two cylindrical towers on top of which was the gun platform mounting two 3.75-in… This may of all seem ineffective considering how much time, effort, and resources were put into the Maunsell project. I found myself wondering what I would have said if I was in the younger Bob’s shoes: “Shout outs to the Maersk mothership coming up on starboard – this one’s for you fellas – On a Ragga Tip by SL2.”, (That’s me by the way, pretending to be a pirate radio DJ on Shivering Sands Forts. Sealand has its own passports, currency and stamps (despite not being recognised by the UN). Three of these Forts were based in the Liverpool Bay and were called: Originally there were going to be a further three more forts in the Liverpool Bay Area, but they never materialized. They were constructed in dry dock and assemble… Imagine holding your very first radio show on one of these monster structures out in the middle of the sea!! They were operated as army and navy forts, and named after their designer, Guy Maunsell. However I found it cheaper to use Airbnb. For those that love off-beat travel, they provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close to some surreal, awe-inspiring structures. His well organised galley kitchen impressed me. With regards to the Liverpool Bay series of forts, there is no record of them inflicting any casualties on the enemy. It’s a wonderful place. 27 May 2015: Canterbury Times - "Red Sands sea forts off Whitstable coast could be converted into luxury hotel and spa complex" Further links about the location: » Project Redsand - Plans on how Red Sands Sea Forts will be redeveloped. The Maunsell sea forts in the Thames estuary were originally built as anti-aircraft defences during the Second World War. For those that love off-beat travel, they provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close to some surreal, awe-inspiring structures. It wasn’t long before we were visiting the last site of the day, Red Sands Fort. As someone who loves music, my imagination was utterly captivated by Bob’s tales. The crew had some wonderfully interesting characters which really added to the whole experience. Knock John Fort – a Maunsell naval fort built in 1943, located 9 miles off the coast of Essex. Two were placed in the Thames estuary in south-east England, while the other two were placed nearby, slightly further up off the Essex coast. Related Stories » Fury from the Deep [4-6 Feb 1968] It was established by Screaming Lord Sutch, an eccentric character who became the leader of the Monster Raving Lunatic political party in the 70s and 80s. Become location independent through remote work or online business. I thought they would make really good old military locations, I don't know the back story for the island but they could add them around the island as old WWII installations constructed similarly to the ones built to defend the UK. Thanks Dan! Now whilst Roughs became its own country and Red Sands has a group trying to preserve it, Knock John is not only the most “Sealand” type, as in far out to sea, it is also unclaimed. Maunsell Forts. Get yours here. There is an effort called the Redsands Project whose objective (as of 2018) is to renovate the Redsands Army Fort and turn it into a museum since it is considered to be in the best condition of the surviving forts. It’s advisable to take some sea sickness medication before boarding, if you feel you might benefit from this. There were four naval forts: 1. The construction on these forts started a little earlier than the Navy ones, the first one beginning in October 1941. With two sailing trainees he could afford to take a little post lunch nap, propped up against the window of the wheelhouse . Maunsell Sea Forts Located off shore on the Thames estuary, the Maunsell Sea Forts are some of the most bizarre-looking structures. Three of the Maunsell Forts are accessible via a Grand Forts boat tour with X-Pilot. Secondly, enemy bombers were using these rivers as landmarks to navigate themselves into the center of these cities. It look like a strange oil painting against the sea. All in all, it’s an amazing day of exploration – highly recommended as an off the beaten track adventure. They played an essential role in protecting London and its ports during the war. As for the Army ones, five of the six forts still exist today in various states of disrepair. These hill forts were primarily earthworks with embankments, ramparts, and ditches. In the 11th Century, these earthworks began to evolve into wooden motte and bailey forts, which eventually were rebuilt or fortified with stone. But I greatly admire the fighting spirit! Nore Fort was demolished in 1959 … Wells, the Maunsell Army Forts in the Thames Estuary are decaying reminders of the darkest days of World War II. The Maunsell Forts are armed towers built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries during the Second World War to help defend the United Kingdom.They were operated as army and navy forts, and named after their designer, Guy Maunsell. But don’t let this put you off. Although the Maunsell Forts have been redundant since they were completely abandoned and left to deteriorate way back in 1958, many of them still stand in the sea today. In the end, he developed two distinct designs, and the resulting constructions were simply called “Navy” or “Army” forts, depending on which service was running them. Today, the forts are abandoned and … Firstly, there was the danger of German aircraft mining the entries to these ports, thus disrupting a significant amount of shipping that was bringing in vital war material. They were operated as army and navy forts, and named after their designer, Guy Maunsell. Sat not too far off the Kent coast in the Thames Estuary, they were originally built in 1942 during World War II to help deter and defend against German forces. The supposedly impregnable Belgium fort of Eben-Emael and the huge 280-mile long French Maginot line proved that large static defenses could be quickly over-run or bypassed. The first Maunsell Fort we visited was Knock John Fort, 9 miles off the coast of Essex. After the war the forts were placed on ‘care and maintenance’. Read another story from us: Total Surprise! The four naval forts were Rough Sands, Sunk Head, Tongue Sands, and Knock John. Carry waterproof outer clothes and a change of clothes in case they get wet. 1035 Rising from the water like rusty invaders out of H.G. They also visited another favourite location of mine, Dungeness, for the same video). There was always a freshly boiled kettle for the never ending cups of tea. #chronoco, From the series L’Impasse. The solution was obvious - build more defences. All the Forts are in quite a dangerous state of disrepair. (The other is Shivering Sands, but that’s likely to be demolished at some point because it poses more of a hazard to shipping.) The 40mm could fire at a rate of 120 rounds a minute up to a height of 23,500 feet (7,162 meters). The company is affiliated to Project Redsand CIO, a registered charity which aims to preserve the Forts in the future. HM Fort Roughs was one of several World War II installations that were designed by Guy Maunsell and known collectively as His Majesty's Forts or as Maunsell Sea Forts; its purpose was to guard the port of Harwich, Essex, and more broadly, the Thames estuary. Join me as I take a trip out to visit the abandoned WW2 Army Maunsell forts - (Red Sands Fort) in the Thames Estuary on a beautiful, still October day in 2018. The 30 enormous wind turbines made a gentle wooshing noise in unison. So for most people, the 7 to 8 hour Grand Forts Tour with X-Pilot is the best way to access the Maunsell Forts. It was strangely peaceful and calming to watch from the boat. Not a l, The white cliffs of Dover, luminescent on the ferr, Untitled, from the L’Impasse series. The Army forts were vacated in 1945 but maintained until 1955. The locations of the seven Maunsell Forts off the east coast of England Secondly, enemy bombers were using these rivers as landmarks to navigate themselves into the center of these cities. ... But this was outlawed by the Marine Broadcasting Act in 1967. Army Forts. #chronocollectiv, experts divided as to what to do about this, other destinations of interest to over 40 nomads, SS Richard Montgomery – a wrecked ship which sank in 1944. Radio City asked him to take over a regular shift aboard Shivering Sands. Bob started his broadcasting career when he was just 15 years old. They now make a great target for aerial photography sorties. Finally, make sure you pack enough food and water for the entire trip because meals are not provided. Footage taken at The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier: The crowd starts to get loud & the Sentinel calls them out, Out of fuel: Pilot Landed on a Container Ship – The Ship Claimed the Plane Under Salvage Rights (Watch), In 1914, A Soldiers Average Height Was 5’2” & Canadian Troops Had The Highest Rates Of Venereal Disease, Attack of the Dead Men! Bear in mind it’s a 7 to 8 hour trip on the North Sea, which can be rough at times. When I … After sailing through Shivering Sands Forts, we made our way to Kentish Wind Farm. One of the forts is managed by the unrecognised Principality of Sealand; boats visit the remaining forts occasionally, and a consortium called Project Redsands is pl… P.S. The forts had a very short but intense life during World War II when Great Britain faced serious attacks from the Luftwaffe. Then there were the Maunsell Army forts which were run by the Army. One of the Forts (Rough Sands) is situated in International Waters. The tour was excellent value considering the experience. But perhaps their true value was more as a deterrent, as well as serving as useful intelligence-gathering posts. These towers were 24 feet (7 meters) in diameter and were divided into seven floors each consisting of: On the steel platform itself, there were two heavy 94mm and two light Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns. The Maunsell naval forts were built in the Thames Estuary and were operated by the Royal Navy. We learned all of this thanks to the commentary of Bob Le-Roi, a local radio presenter who accompanied us. Built in 1892 the Greta explores the Maunsell Forts at a very leisurely pace. They were simply abandoned by the military. By the early 1950s, all the forts in both locations had been decommissioned by the Ministry of Defence. All rights reserved. . NEW!!! There were eight Forts originally. He had served in the Royal Engineers in World War One. He told us how he frequently used to give shout outs to the passing container ships. They were named: These forts consisted of a steel platform over 100 feet (30 meters) long, that was perched on top of two giant 60 foot (18 meter) reinforced concrete towers. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for leaving a comment ?? Red Sands Tower – another Maunsell army defence Fort which looks a bit like the Shivering Sands one. (This isn’t advertised on their website, by the way. Live a life of freedom and purpose on YOUR terms. Everything was tied down to stop it slipping around in rough seas. There was an unsuccessful attempt to set up an independent nation on one of these remaining forts. At various stages during the 1960s, both types of forts were used as pirate radio stations. Their role was to detect, deter, and report German air raids and military movements around the River Thames, such as attempts to lay water mines along the estuary and sabotage this important shipping channel. The forts were decommissioned in the late 1950s and later used for other activities including pirate radio broadcasting. Guy Maunsell was a civil engineer and an expert in the new field of prestressed concrete. The Red Sands Sea Forts were built in the Thames Estuary in 1943, off the coast of Whitstable, Kent. The idea was to ward off any invading army before they could reach your shore. Three sets of Maunsell Forts, named after their designer Guy Maunsell, were built in the Estuary to this design: the Nore forts off Sheerness, now … Maunsell sea forts, built in the Thames estuary and operated by the Royal Navy, were to deter and report German air raids following the Thames as a landmark, and attempts to lay minesby aircraft in this important shipping channel. It felt good knowing that my cash was going to support the charity which looks after the Forts, too. Each fort was actually a cluster of seven individual giant boxed steel structures, on top of huge reinforced lattice girders and connected by walkways. Copyright © 2021 Samantha Brown | GenerationXit. By World War Two, large permanent fortifications were seen as mostly obsolete and not suited to the fast flowing pace of modern warfare. They’re named after their designer, Guy Maunsell. By 1943, Maunsell designed a new concept fort system consisting of several interconnected steel platforms in a defensive array around a central control tower. X-Pilot’s Grand Forts Tour is a 7 to 8 hour boat trip departing from Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. Most of the Forts were abandoned in the 50s and since then they’ve gradually faded and corroded over time. The Fort is incredibly beautiful with layers of rust and green lichen decorating its study legs. Grain Fort – an artillery fort built in 1860 to defend Britain during the Napoleonic war. Rough Sands (HM Fort Roughs) (U1) 2. In other words, perfect photography material. Already in the late 50-ies of the last century the structures were out of order and stopped being used. Long abandoned, their rusty exterior gives a sort of mad max aesthetic which photographs beautifully. Four are still standing off the South East coast of England, in the estuary of the River Thames. The location of this spectacle are former defense platforms of the now rusty Maunsell Forts, which at a height of 25 meters are located a few miles off the coast of Great Britain. They are named after the civil engineer that designed them, Guy Maunsell. All the forts proved the feasibility of the proposed Mulberry Harbours used off the Normandy beaches after D-Day in 1944, which were suggested and worked on by Guy Maunsell. The supposedly impregnable Belgium fort of. They housed a crew and garrison of 400 soldiers. The name of each Fort is derived from the sandbank it is situated on. He proposed a series of fortified sea towers armed with anti-aircraft guns be built on land and then towed out and placed in strategic positions along the mouth of both estuaries. If there’s no one else around except a container ship, I can afford to go in hard with a 90s rave classic, right?). A sort of mad max aesthetic which photographs beautifully aesthetic which photographs beautifully the crew had some interesting! Was for a teenage DJ name of each Fort site will take at least £1m of investment to make fortifications. Set of naval forts were used as bases for pirate radio station in the Estuary. The name of each Fort site will take at least £1m of investment to make large fortifications goes back of. A registered charity No.1172590, Official Supply Vessel at Whitstable Harbour, just miles. Enjoyed it and thanks for leaving a comment? Royal Engineers in World one. Which aims to preserve the forts became the headquarters for pirate radio station in the Thames Estuary were. 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