There’s a lot of things I am VERY nerdy about, chief among them obviously being Street Food, but one thing that comes pretty close are the Maunsel Forts from WW2 that litter the oceans of the UK.
And it just so turns out that you can visit the Redsand Maunsel Fort from another obsession of mine, the Isle of Sheppey. So, what is a Redsand Maunsel Fort, what is the Isle of Sheppey and how do I take such a trip? Here’s my guide.
Table of Contents
What the Maunsel Forts?
The Maunsel Forts are these bizarre military platforms built in the Second World War in the Thames Estuary and the Mersey. They are hulking sea towers that look like something out of a dystopian movie, planted in the water to catch enemy aircraft and protect Britain’s coastline. They were built by an engineer named Guy Maunsell and were basically a chain of defence posts in really uncomfortable locations.
There were two basic types. Some were army forts which had clusters of pillars and walkways with anti aircraft guns and searchlights. Others were navy forts that sat on big legs and carried heavier artillery and radar gear. The army ones are the ones people talk about most because they look like giant concrete stools halfway to nowhere.
In the war years these things were crewed by soldiers who lived in them, watched the skies and fired at enemy planes. After the war they were abandoned as coastal defence technology moved on. They got strange second lives. In the swinging 60s some of them became pirate radio platforms blasting pop music to listeners who wanted something outside the BBC. That era cemented their legendary status. One fort just outside territorial waters was declared a sovereign micronation called Sealand. Whether that counts as real nationhood is debatable but it is part of the mythos.
Now decades later most of these towers are derelict and rusting but people still obsess over them. Urbex photographers, history nerds, people who like abandoned structures. They are one of those things that sound dumb until you see them in real life and then you realise how epic and unusual they are.
And Redsand Maunsel Fort
Redsand is the biggest draw of the lot. Seven concrete towers planted like sentinels in the Thames Estuary peeking out of the water. During the war it was fully manned with guns, searchlights and men living up there in cramped quarters watching for aircraft and protecting the approaches to London.
After the war Redsand sat abandoned for years until pirate radio crews turned it into a broadcast base in the 1960s. Stations with names like Red Sands Radio and Radio 390 used the fort to throw music out over the airwaves because they were out of reach of regulators and had a clear shot across the water to people on shore. That era ended with the government shutting pirate radio down and the fort just sat quietly crumbling.
Over the decades the steelwork peeled away storms battered the concrete and it became a rusted monument. A group of volunteers later formed Project Redsands to try and keep some of the structure intact preserving it as a piece of industrial military history rather than letting it collapse completely.
Photographers and urban explorers love this place because the texture and decay are insane. The girders are eating themselves the concrete is stained with rust and salt and it all feels like a forgotten relic from another era. You cannot just swim up and climb all over it because it is unstable and dangerous but you can see it up close from a boat trip and that is where the real magic happens. Seeing it from the water close enough to feel the spray and hear the wind scream past the towers is something you do not forget.
Out near Redsand you also get a look at the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery a cargo ship that went down loaded with explosives. There are danger buoys around it reminding you that if that exploded it could take out a big chunk of Essex. It is less dramatic visually than Redsand itself but it sits there like a ticking historical bomb and it is part of the trip’s mystique.
And the Isle of Sheppey you say?
The Isle of Sheppey sits out in the Thames Estuary off the Kent coast and is the jumping off point for the forts. It is flat a bit windswept and has proper seaside vibes with beaches that smell like salty history, pubs that serve real roasts and locals who are not pretending to be something they are not.
People come here for cheap seaside escapes wind in their hair and a bit of old school British charm. Queenborough Harbour on Sheppey is where the boat trips out to the forts leave from and that harbour town is worth five minutes of your life before you get on the water. There are pubs there are chips and there is that specific sound of gulls and sea glass that tells you you have left normal land behind.
Click to read my Sheppey Guide,
The Boat Trip
I will finish with the how and the where of the trip but now I will talk about the trip itself. You start by getting to Queenborough which itself is a cool place with pubs and a beach where you meet the boat its captain and first mate. The boat itself is epic with a good front and back section a kitchen common area as well as a gallery downstairs by the toilet.
Then you sail past Deadman’s Island and then an hour out to the forts. You spend an hour or so cruising around them stopping for photos and getting the full rundown from the crew about what you are looking at. This part is amazing and really gives you a feel for how things would have been. The photos do the talking.
On the way back you go past the SS Montgomery wreck site where danger buoys remind you that if an explosion happened it could take out a chunk of the area. This is less impressive visually than the forts but once you soak in the history and context it hits you hard.
This is probably the best thing I have done in the UK and one of the coolest urbex type experiences I have ever had.
How to book it
f you want to visit the Maunsel Forts you need to know who runs legitimate boat trips out to sea from Queenborough Harbour on the Isle of Sheppey and how much it actually costs. The main operator most people use is a boat called X Pilot which takes up to twelve passengers out into the Thames Estuary to the forts and the Montgomery wreck. They also do fully private charters for groups.
The physical departure point is All Tide Landing at Crundells Wharf in Queenborough Harbour on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent ME11 5EL. The operator is based under the company Marine A Services at 74 Holmside Avenue in Minster on Sea Sheerness ME12 3EY.
Here are the scheduled services and real prices for 2026 based on the current sailing plan:
Redsand Fort and Montgomery wreck trip four hours out to Redsand Towers then past the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery
Summer June July August about 69 pounds per head
Spring and early autumn April May and September about 64 pounds per head
Winter October through March about 49 pounds per head
Redsand Towers trip three hours thirty minutes focused mainly on Redsand
Summer about 64 pounds per head
Spring and early autumn about 59 pounds per head
Winter about 54 pounds per head
Forts Tour about five hours thirty minutes visiting Redsand Towers Shivering Sands Towers and the wreck
Summer about 79 pounds per head
Spring and early autumn about 74 pounds per head
Winter about 59 pounds per head
Grand Forts Tour about seven hours out visiting Redsand Shivering Sands Knock John Fort the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery the Kent Flats Wind Farm and the Grain Tower Battery
Summer about 99 pounds per head
Spring and early autumn about 94 pounds per head
Winter about 79 pounds per head
All these prices are per passenger and the trips are usually limited to about twelve people so you have room to move around on deck and take photos.
Private charter hire is also available if you want the boat exclusively for your own group with your own schedule. Private charters are priced according to the season the day of the week and how long you want out on the water. The operator does not publish set prices online because it changes with the tides and timing so you have to contact them for a quote. A typical four hour private hire for a Maunsell Forts trip has been quoted around 500 pounds for the whole boat depending on the date weather and arrangements. The crew will give you the exact cost when you enquire.
Contact details for bookings enquiries or private hire quotes are telephone 01795 487568 mobile 07960 574821 and email xpilotkent at gmail dot com. The departure point is All Tide Landing Crundells Wharf Queenborough Harbour Isle of Sheppey Kent ME11 5EL and the office address is Marine A Services at 74 Holmside Avenue Minster on Sea Sheerness Kent ME12 3EY. Book early because spaces especially on scheduled sailing dates fill up.
Jetstream Tours services and prices
Jetstream Tours also run trips from Queenborough All Tide Landing Crundells Wharf Queenborough ME11 5EL and they do public cruises which can include Maunsell and Redsand Forts. Their prices for trips in 2026 are grouped by type:
Around the wreck tours from Queenborough adult about 17 pounds OAP about 14 pounds child about 12 pounds family about 50 pounds.
Tours from Queenborough to Southend or reverse day trip adult about 29 pounds OAP about 25 pounds child about 22 pounds family about 85 pounds.
Three hour Southend to Redsand Towers or Queenborough to Redsand Towers adult about 32 pounds OAP about 29 pounds child about 26 pounds family about 95 pounds.
Around the Island departing from Queenborough adult about 40 pounds OAP about 34 pounds child about 28 pounds family about 120 pounds.
These tours can vary through the year. Jetstream’s booking office is reachable by telephone on 01634 525202 and by email at bookings at jetstreamtours dot com. Their postal address is Jetstream Tours Ltd Unit 2 Parsonage Farm The Street Stockbury ME9 7UJ. The boarding point for Queenborough trips is at the All Tide Landing Crundells Wharf Queenborough Harbour ME11 5EL.
If you want private hire bespoke or chartered trips with either operator you contact them directly by their phone numbers or emails and negotiate the date and route you want. The main X Pilot contact phone is 01795 487568 mobile 07960 574821 email xpilotkent at gmail dot com. The main Jetstream Tours contact phone is 01634 525202 email bookings at jetstreamtours dot com and the same Queenborough All Tide Landing is the boarding location.
Those are the two main services running out to the Maunsell Forts from Queenborough with real prices and real contact details.
Click to see my Sealand Tours with YPT.