# Grain Fort, Tower Battery & Decoy Battery - Jan 2012



## Priority 7 (Jan 20, 2012)

The Isle of Grains strategic importance for guarding the entrance to the River Medway had already been recognised with the construction of Grain Tower and in 1860 Royal Commission called for a casemated fort to be added around it. However this did not happen and Grain Fort was constructed as a separate site.
The fort began as a large heptagonal earthwork surrounding a large semi-circular keep. At the front of the fort was a ditch defended by four caponiers. Another inner ditch surrounded the keep and was defended by three caponiers and two demi-caponiers.
As with other forts of the time the upper gun emplacements were connected to the magazines below via shafts. Passages connected the magazines to the caponiers in the front ditch and the keep, which was also accessible via a bridge from the terreplein. The men garrisoned at Grain Fort were barracked in the keep.
Modifications to the fort were made at the end of the 19th century with the addition of four guns with further alterations in the following years through to the end of the Second World War. Grain Fort remained in service until the disbandment of coastal artillery in 1956. The site was sold in 1961 with the subsequent demolition of the fort and other major features and the ditches were filled with rubbish.During World War Two the fort records show several interesting facts, firstly the firing data shows that the guns could traverse fully through 360 degrees to fire inland. This data shows the areas the fort was to destroy should an invasion take place in the area.

Grain fort 19.6.41
9.2 Battery Landwards Firing Data

Serial Number	Target	Given	Found	Bearing
H.5	High Halstow	2293	223938	264°
H.6	Cooling	1994	197946	288°
H.9	Great Chattenden Wood Area	1992	190920	259°
H.10	Ladys Close Cliffe	1892	180920	259°
H.11	Hoo	2290	226907	248°
S.1	Leysdown	4888	485885	110°
S.2	Eastchurch	4389	431897	118°
S.3	Eastchurch Aerodrome	4288	430881	125°
S.4	Minster	3991	399912	120°
S.5	Building Estate	3390	384909	130°
S.6	Road Junction	370889	370889	144°


In 1944 the role of Grain Fort was close defence of the Estuary using the 6 inch equipment, they were to destroy or drive away all enemy vessels which were in range including enemy aircraft landing in the water. Targets to be engaged in priority order are:

Transports
Boomsmashers
Destroyers
Submarines
M.T.B's

The standing orders in the event of an invasion were - "no gun will remain idle until all targets within range bearing have been disabled."



Defence posts during the war are detailed below:

1. S.M. Emplacement - L. front of B.O.P. - Home Guard - 4 men
2. Bren gun post - 30 x front of B.O.P. - Reserve B.O.P. - 2 men
3. Rifle post - Side of Bofors - No. 2 Gun Detachment - 4 men
4. Bren Gun Post - L. front G.2. Gun - No.2 Gun Detachment - 2 men
5. Rifle post - R. front G.1. gun - No.1 Gun Detachment - 4 men
6. Bren Gun Post - R. of S.O.P. - No.1 Gun Detachment - 2 men
7. Solothurn post - R. of S.O.P. - Gnrs Farley and Plumbley - 2 men
8. Heavy M.G. post - Embankment above No.1 engine room - Home Guard - 2 men
9. Bren Gun post - 20 x R. of No.8 - Employed - 2 men
10. S.M. Emplacement - West wall of fort - Home Guard - 4 men
11. Roof - West wall of fort - Employed - 10 men
12. No.1 C.A.S.L. - River front - C.A.S.L. Res: - 4 men
13. No.2 C.A.S.L. - River front - C.A.S.L. Res: - 4 men

A list of armaments and small arms gives some idea of the size of the unit garrisoned there:

Gun G.1. - CBL 6 inch Mk. VII - Manufactured 1900, refurbished 8/5/1941 - Erected 31/7/1941
Gun G.2. - CBL 6 inch Mk. VII - Manufactured 1900, refurbished 8/5/1941 - Erected 30/9/1941

Small Arms

.22 Rifles - 4
.303 Rifles - 101
Bayonets - 101
Revolvers - 2
Bren Guns - 4
Lewis Guns - Nil
Sten Sub-Machine Guns - 4
Solothurn Guns - 1 pr
Signal Pistol - 2

Fort Plans:

Blockwork







Ground Floor






First Floor






Full Site






Grain Tower Battery

Built in 1855, the original tower was based on the same Martello Towers that were first constructed as a defence against Napoleon in the early 19th century. The tower stands some 500 meters off shore on what is known as Grain Spit in the Medway and the original tower was built of brick covered in granite. The towers fire would compliment that from Garrison Point and would defend both the entrance to the River Medway and the sea front of Sheerness. The guns of the 1855 Tower were mounted on the roof and fired over the wall rather than through an embrasure.
Early in the 20th century a raised concrete and stone structure was added to the towers roof to all the addition of two 4.7in BLs. This also provided shelter that could be used for stores and fire control. The ammunition storage was upgraded at the same time to allow safer storage within the main body of the tower to supply these new guns.
Soon after a boom defence was constructed across the River Medway towards Sheerness. The tower became an anchor point for this boom, connecting it to Grain beach, the chains can still be seen wrapped around the towers base roughly 6 feet from the estuary bed.
The Second World War saw further additions and modifications, in particular the large roofed emplacement that supported a twin 6pdr quick firing gun. Behind this was a directing tower and a light emplacement. The addition of a barrack block was the biggest addition at this stage was; it was made of concrete and stands on stilts with access to and from the main tower via a concrete walkway.


Grain Fort Pics































Group Silohette (Left to Right TeeJF, Tonto, Covert Urbex & Me)
















Grain Tower Battery
























































The Decoy Site






Finally a little timelapse

http://youtu.be/OwhGFO2ZI-w

Thanks to TeeJF, Tonto and Covert Urbex for the company on this little trip a great day out in Kent.


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## UrbanX (Jan 20, 2012)

Nice photos dude! They still blow me away every report! 
Top tour guide 2012, I'll give tripadvisor your details! 
Oh and top notch history too!


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## Priority 7 (Jan 20, 2012)

Was a great day out missing an element of X though


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## tank2020 (Jan 20, 2012)

Glad you made the fort, did you get in both ends, one is pretty tight, I ain't managed it yet! Top pics.


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## Priority 7 (Jan 20, 2012)

Nah mate only realised when I got in that there was another end  still I have a few forts that I want to see down your way so will add the revisit to it


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## night crawler (Jan 20, 2012)

Great work there guy's , do lik ethe drawings you had , as for the tunnles ther are somthing else.


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## mersonwhoopie (Jan 20, 2012)

Very nice, this is going on the list of places for when I get paid. Great report


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## Priority 7 (Jan 20, 2012)

Let me know when you go Merson, I need to check another tunnel at Grain  I also have a few other sites nearby that would make for a good day out.


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## mersonwhoopie (Jan 20, 2012)

Priority 7 said:


> Let me know when you go Merson, I need to check another tunnel at Grain  I also have a few other sites nearby that would make for a good day out.



Will do mate. I think Green Giant & Madaxe are thinking of heading Kent way soon so I'll run it past them and let you no.


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## Ninja Kitten (Jan 20, 2012)

What a really interesting report, and blimey you take some outstanding photos


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## TeeJF (Jan 20, 2012)

This was a great day! All kudos to Tank for his help beforehand. Tell you what P7 that squeeze into the tunnel with all the mud was fun wasn't it! ;-) Tonto had a great time and says thanks. Loved the report and your research, where did you find all that info?


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## Priority 7 (Jan 20, 2012)

Googe bud, various forums and established sites it wasn't hard at all thankfully. The wife said thanks for the product of pyecrust, and thank tonto for all the help and indeed the great company on all the explores


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## alex76 (Jan 20, 2012)

Brilliant report there p7 and cracking shots looks a good explore mate


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## nelly (Jan 20, 2012)

Cracking photos as always mate and a brilliant write up, I need to get to see this


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## Chris34 (Jan 20, 2012)

*Nice!*

Thanks Mr7, the well researched history compliments the quality photography


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## TeeJF (Jan 21, 2012)

There's no point what so ever me doing a seperate report and frankly I'm going to struggle to make it as competent. P7, will it be ok for me to add some of our photos in to this report early next week ? I don't want to tread on your toes.


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## Priority 7 (Jan 21, 2012)

TeeJF you were the researcher mate, feel free to add I am no expert here...without your tide calculations we would have been very wet of that I am sure....  I somehow doubt you would struggle to make a report or the pics look good though


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## TeeJF (Jan 25, 2012)

*No point doing a whole new report so here's our take on the photo front!*








I've not light painted properly before this weekend and I think I need to concentrate on getting it a bit more even perhaps?








The light at the end of the tunnel?








Chasing the tide out...








Chains...








It's a long way down from up here!








Do you think the army have been here doing FIBUA Skelly?








Victorian stair porn...








The director tower.








I had decided te gun must be a big one due to the size of the gimbel. Wrong! Turns out it was actually a double 6 pdr QF. So not quite so big but a sizeable installation none the less.








Looking down from the top of the director tower, even the roof of the three storey barrack block is a long way below!








Wrong again! I'd decided this was a second gun platform. Seems it was a searchlight gimble?








Beats the hell out of crummy iron steps!








Ignore at your peril!








Lovely, lovely granite against a blue sky!








Time to head back...

*
Thanks for looking, TJ and I had a great day with P7 and Covert Urbex. And a big thank you again to Tank for his help on this one. *​


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## Priority 7 (Jan 25, 2012)

Nice work TJ and +1 last pic is really nice


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## TeeJF (Jan 25, 2012)

Cheers bud, maybe I had a good teacher the day before! 

Actually, to be honest I did a bit to these pics in Lite Table to try to bring back bleached out skies and I think it worked really well on some. 

Still got a lot to learn about light painting I'm afraid!


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## Priority 7 (Jan 25, 2012)

I am still learning bud, no way am I a teacher lol...You had some great shots on the site too chap still we have another tunnel to light paint in just need to know when you are down sarff next


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## TeeJF (Jan 25, 2012)

We will get the next few days out of the way and then we'll know much better. Cheers!


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## oldscrote (Jan 30, 2012)

There's some information on the Grain tower as well as the defences mentioned in Tanks recent post 

http://indicatorloops.com/shellness.htm


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## KingRat (Jan 30, 2012)

The write up alone held my attention, the pics were the icing on the cake, cracking stuff mate


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## TeeJF (Feb 1, 2012)

oldscrote said:


> There's some information on the Grain tower as well as the defences mentioned in Tanks recent post
> 
> http://indicatorloops.com/shellness.htm



Cheers matey. That was quite informative. I had the Grain Tower down as an AA battery in conjunction with the towers out to see but it appears from what that guy says that it's primary purpose was as an anti-E Boot defence.


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