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The Reds Sands Fort

As one would expect, Peter's photos focus primarily on land-based features. However, he did get a chance to pick out some familiar sights off the coast.... 

This is a shot of the Red Sands Fort off the coast of Tankerton and it gives us a chance to discuss some facts about the forts.

Designed by Guy Maunsell, there were actually two types of fort.... Navy and Army. The Navy forts were constructed first and comprised "Roughs Tower", "Sunk Head Tower", "Tongue Sands" and "Knock John". They were spread across the outer limits of the Thames estuary between Harwich and the Isle of Thanet. Their prime purpose was to protect allied shipping.

Following the success of the Navy operations, three army forts were built closer to the mouth of the Thames and they formed a rough line skirting the shipping lanes into London. From west to east, they were.... The Nore (closest to Sheppey)..... Red Sands..... and Shivering Sands. 

The Nore has since disappeared but the other two remain a feature of the northern horizon at Tankerton. If you stand facing the sea at St Annes Road ice cream kiosk on Tankerton Slopes, the  Shivering Sands fort can be seen tucked  behind the windmills of the new wind farm. The Red Sands fort is away to your left. In the past, The Nore fort would have been visible between Red Sands and the Isle of Sheppey.

Although the basic concept of the Army Forts was based on the Navy predecessors, their construction and layout was quite different. The shot below was taken by Peter some time ago from the sailing barge Greta and it shows the massive structure of the Knock John navy fort.  

As you can see, it was balanced on two substantial supports. These supports also provided living accommodation for the gun crews.

By contrast, each of the army forts comprised seven towers and each tower was supported on four slender legs. As a result, the living accommodation, munitions store and supplies were housed on the platforms themselves. The towers were linked by six walkways as shown below (Note: The walkways have long since disappeared). 

The towers were not all identical because they served different functions. One tower was set slightly apart from the cluster and provided a home for a searchlight. A control tower was set at the centre of the main cluster - surrounded by a bofors gun tower and four 3.7" gun towers. The bofors was a 40 mm gun.

After the war, the forts continued to have a varied and colourful history. During the 1960s, they were used as bases for pirate radio stations -  receiving their supplies via Whitstable harbour. They also featured in an episode of a highly popular TV spy series - Dangerman starring Patrick McGoohan (of "The Prisoner" fame). 

I have left one of Peter's most fascinating photos until last....

It shows the Red Sands forts set against the shipping lanes of the Thames and the distant coast of Essex. The size and strength of the forts depicted in the close up shots is now lost against the vast open spaces of the estuary. One can only wonder just how isolated and vulnerable the crews must have felt in those dark days of World War II. 

It's a fascinating story and we would strongly advise our readers to visit the following sites for more detailed information and an update on the work going on to preserve part of our history....

http://www.project-redsand.com/

 http://www.bobleroi.co.uk/ScrapBook/CityReunion/FortFanatics.html 

The Wind Farm

A more recent addition to the Tankerton sky line has been the wind farm. The shot below shows the windmills set against the estuary and distant coast of Essex. Just right of centre, the familiar shape of the Shivering Sands Maunsell fort can be seen....