Report - Medway Trip to Fort Darnet & Kingsnorth Coal Jetty - August 2023

[Wastelandr]

Way back in 2021, I ventured to Fort Hoo in the River Medway via an inflatable canoe as detailed in my report below. It was an incredibly photogenic place, although the adventure became more memorable for missing the high tide by a matter of half an hour and having to wait until dark to return, which made for a somewhat trecherous expedition having to eat blackberries and marsh plants to keep the calories going! Ever since then, I've wanted to tick off the second Medway fort, but we'd decided canoe probably wasn't the wisest way and would have to one day hopefully arrange a better means of transport.

Report - - Hoo Fort, River Medway - September 2021

Fast forward to 2023 and we're fortunate enough to know @Gaggle of gays armed with a trusty RIB. So the trip was arranged and @KismetJ and I headed out to the Medway once more to complete the mission. I'd also had my eye on the Kingsnorth cranes for some time, so the plan was to do both. The wind speed was moderate so it wouldn't be the smoothest ride, although as I'm told it can be a lot worse.

We loaded up the boat with our kit, cameras securely in dry bags. After giving the boat a manual start it was thankfully set to go and off we headed, taking a ride through Rochester along the river. This was certainly a lot faster than using a canoe. After passing several points of interest from another perspective, including the Soviet sub, we eventually neared Darnet island after passing Fort Hoo conquered on our previous eventful expedition.

Setting up the RIB at Cuxton Marina
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FORT DARNET

Built alongside Fort Hoo, Fort Darnet was constructed between 1870 and 1872 following the 1859 Royal Commission which began the controversial nation-wide Palmerston forts defence scheme. The forts are circular and consist of two floors; magazines and barracks below for up to 100 men, and an 11-gun deck above (8x 8-inch and 3x 7-inch RMLs), in the form of an outer ring around a central staircase column. The forts were originally intended to have another gun deck ontop, although this was scaled back due to subsidence and excessive costs. Never used in conflict, the forts were decomissioned before WW1, although Darnet saw minor alteration in WW2 as an observation post with a pillbox built on its roof.

Arriving near the island, we navigated around several WW2-era ferro-concrete barges used as they often are as breakwaters. We got paddled the boat close to shore and hopped out, anchoring up on the small beach. Being a small island, we were soon confronted with the facade of the impressive fort and were in. There's something very peaceful about being at the Medway forts, completely encircled in a lost ruin cut off from civilisation, joined only by the nature that grows within. Given that the bottom level is heavily flooded, we could only explore the gun deck. We didn't stop for long given that it was the first stop on our trip, so I rattled off a few shots and we were done in 20 minutes.

Merged panorama of the fort exterior

This gun emplacement was strangely walled off. @Gaggle of gays suggested it may have been a WW2 alteration during the fort's time as an observation
post to prevent the silhouette of personnel being spotted from the outside. Now it's used as an informal toilet.

The pillbox ontop was one of the few changes to the fort during WW2. The flag mount
is also visible here, not seen on Fort Hoo. Otherwise the two forts are very similar.

Eyeing up the potential to follow.

TBC...​

 

[Wastelandr]

KINGSNORTH POWER STATION COAL JETTY

So we got back into the boat and started heading for the large jetty at Kingsnorth. Shortly it wasn't far to go. It was constructed in 1964 as Oakham Ness Jetty for the power station inland, which began operation in 1973. Evidently, the power station's construction was a large project given that it took a decade to complete, and even just the surviving jetty is a testament to the scale of its operation. The power station was decomissioned in 2012 and was demolished several years ago. There's some excellent reports on here if you want to see inside the power station. The jetty was designed to bring coal in from ships to fuel the power station, and a large central crane lies in the middle which used a 'claw' to hoist coal into the hopper, whereas two seemingly more-modern smaller cranes were added either side which could directly 'suck' the coal up out the ships via what resembles a large rotating drill bit.

Historic photo of Kingsnorth power station showing the jetty top-left with a barge moored.

The cranes as seen from Darnet Island

We moored up on a rusty old ladder and got exploring, starting to feel increasingly isolated at the mercy of the river despite being directly connected to dry land now. The jetty's components have been stripped out by metal theives to some extent since we last checked it out, so unfortunately it's in a worse state than it was a few years ago. Still, everything is more or less still there. We proceeded to climb the cranes, and I won't lie I showed myself up, with @Gaggle of gays expecting me to be a hardened explorer. Well, those things are bloody high, but I cracked on and we made it up them all.

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THE WESTERN CRANE

This was of the same design as the eastern-most crane. , More-modern, smaller (yet still massive) with a rotating top and a massive 'drill' for sucking up coal.

As seen from the central crane, with views over Fort Darnet and Hoo.

The crane's coal hopper and conveyor

Inside the central rotating column of the crane

Looking up the arm of the crane

The crane control cockpit​

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THE CENTRAL CRANE

This was the largest and oldest of the three. It was also very high, but I made the climb up to the hoisting room where a pulley to winch coal into the hopper would've operated. Some cool old machinery in there. Once you get so high up it just sort of makes no difference once you accept fate.

Looking back at the western crane.

The coal bucket and hopper.

Tasty winching equipment. Had to stitch two photos together to fit this all in.

A tiny control cabin with the crane arm infront

Spot @KismetJ

​

 

[Bugsuperstar]

Nice!! I like that. The central crane is a beast.

 

[Wastelandr]

THE EASTERN CRANE

Same type as the western crane. This one was out on its own a bit, with the service building to along the jetty's northern edge once extending to here but since shortened. This was also nearer the conveyor which would have brough coal along the top of the service building back to land to feed the power station.

Ever felt emasculated by a crane before?

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THE RETURN JOURNEY

We hopped back into the boat, now much further down the ladder due to the tide but thankfully compensated for by the ropes. We then sped off from the jetty, observing it from the exterior as we rode under the shadow of the huge cranes. It felt pretty James Bond it has to be said. Next the plan was to quickly check out a few more of the ruined jetties in the mouth of the Medway before returning back. Now I must admit I was a bit of a scaredy-cat on this trip, both heights and water not being my favourite. Well I was seated at the front of the boat, meaning I took the force of every wave we skimmed over. @Gaggle of gays reassured me this was pretty normal as I continued to brick it, and that he'd actually had it so bad from the choppiness that he could barely see where he was going, so I thought myself lucky. We decided not to board the other jetties in the interest of time but they were interesting, and it was cool to see Bees Ness jetty from this angle. You are basically out at sea here, and after seeing a few seals it felt like we were truly a tiny speck at the mercy of the sea.

Please note it's phone pictures from here on out given the conditions, so the quality isn't as great.

KINGSNORTH OIL JETTY

These were probably built along with the power station and coal jetty to gather oil from ships, as the power station was fuelled both by coal and oil. It looks as though it would be worth a look as it had some rather old looking phone boxes on it and other features, but our uneasiness with the tide and the timing meant we didn't stop here.

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BEES NESS BERRY WIGGINS & CO. JETTY

This jetty runs inland close to Kingsnorth power station, but served the Berry Wiggins oil refinery. This was formed in 1922 to supply bitumen. By 1924 the company was producing bitumen from a plant at Sharnal Street on the Isle of Grain and in 1929 the company expanded, becoming a public company with premises at several locations including Manchester and Stratford. The 323 acres the company purchased at Kingsnorth included a number of buildings that were formerly part of the RAF Kingsnorth base which closed in 1920. This included a jetty used to deliver crude oil although it wasn’t used for long as the company built Bee Ness Jetty which was opened in 1937. Stretching out for over 2.5km into the River Medway, this makes the jetty the longest in Britain. The jetty has collapsed in places and the end is unreachable from land, so it was good to see the end of it. It has two smaller old looking cranes and a little tin and wood hut which somehow has survived a lot longer than the jetty.

Drone shot of the inland end of Bees Ness jetty by @KismetJ from 2021.

It's quite a bizarre sight, like the skeleton of a sea serpent.

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BACK TO BASE
We were now as far out as we'd planned to go and had to make it back before the tide became too low. After being given a fright by @Gaggle of gays going over the current of a huge container ship (memorable ) we returned back. Now I have to say, as much as the water was a bit choppy, he did a very good job of giving us a tour of the Medway and getting us back in one piece. Being my first time out on a RIB, I didn't know what to expect wave-wise but apparrently it was all normal. As we returned inland towards Rochester, the sun started to set making for a nice golden evening's glow as the waves calmed. We made it back just in time to moor up back at Cuxton Marina. A very big thanks to @Gaggle of gays for taking myself and @KismetJ out, a very enjoyable trip with a few laughs.

The Royal Dockyard sheds at Chatham

Just having gone under the Rochester bridge.

The A2 Medway Bridge

Back at Cuxton Marine in time for a summer's sunset. Quite the contrast to the harsh conditons of the sea!

Thanks for reading folks ​

 

[Wastelandr]

Nice!! I like that. The central crane is a beast.

Cheers, yeah it is mega!

 

[slayaaaa]

Proper! Super jealous of the kings north jetty, I have to get over there. Really enjoyed that.

 

[dansgas1000]

Sounds like you had a brilliant day there mate. Loved reading through this one and those cranes look fantastic. Top stuff

 

[SpiderMonkey]

Looks like a wicked day out. Nice one!

 

[Wastelandr]

Proper! Super jealous of the kings north jetty, I have to get over there. Really enjoyed that.

Cheers mate surprised you haven't already done it!

 

[Wastelandr]

Sounds like you had a brilliant day there mate. Loved reading through this one and those cranes look fantastic. Top stuff

Thanks it was a good day indeed! Always makes a change doing an explore with a boat involved, for better or worse

Looks like a wicked day out. Nice one!

Cheers!!

 

[HughieD]

A fort. Crane porn and loads of jetties. Fantastic

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Thats a really cool day out, right up my street that

 

[Exploring With Pride 🌈]

Was funny being on there and seeing you so nervous then again I think i was like that my first visit lol

 

[Wastelandr]

Was funny being on there and seeing you so nervous then again I think i was like that my first visit lol

Yes ahaha, I don't try to hide it cos what's the point but I'll still get stuck in! As we said the heights thing does seem to get better once you become more familiar with what you're climbing, you sort of trust the structure more.

 

[Mikeymutt🐶]

Quality report mate. One day I will get to the cranes. Last time the weather was rubbish for the walk and it was winter and losing the light.