Grain Tower Battery, Isle Of Grain

Grain Tower is located on a spit off the Isle of Grain in Kent. It was built in 1855 as a Martello Tower type structure, with cannons mounted on the roof and barrack accommodation and magazines below. At low tide, the tower can be reached by a causeway, but at high tide it is completely surrounded by water. The tower was upgraded during the first few years of the 20th Century, and mounted with two Quick-firing guns. A two-storey adjoining accommodation block was built in WW2, when the tower was re-armed with two six-pounder guns, and a three-storey Observation Post built on top of the tower. The tower was manned until the 1950s , and is a very interesting example of how advances in artillery resulted in adaptation of a defence structure, with many features still remaining. It now however, remains empty and deteriorating with an unknown future.

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Update 2011: Grain Tower has now been sold and is in private hands and should only be visited with the owner's permission.

View of the tower from the shore

View from the end of the causeway

Thick iron chain close to the entrance to the tower
On the lower level, beneath the accomodation block

Looking back to the shore, showing causeway
Entrance to accomodation block

Inside one of the rooms

Another interior view

Looking into the original tower
Shell hoist still in position

Central pillar supporting the roof
Passage between the rooms
Vaulted ceiling in the barrack room

Stairs to upper level
WW2 gun position
Shell issue hatch

Shell stores on upper level
Looking up to obervation post

Looking down

Inside the observation tower