Gaz
To be included on International Islands you need to be a very special kind of man-made island, but the Maunsell Fort of Knock John is just that. Why? Well think Sealand! And if you do not know Sealand, then well strap yourself in.
What are Maunsell Forts?
Maunsell Forts were sea based “forts formed during World War 2 essentially to protect against invasion from the Germans. The offshore installations share a lot in common with oil rigs.
They consist of concrete pontoons, hollowed out, with two concrete reinforced towers for the men, there were no women. These structures could support enough supplies for troops to live on, had beds, living quarters and of course munitions. Hell there were even kitchens and generators.
Some were used for air-defence, some were used for anti-aircraft and some were even connected by footbridges. On a clear day on the Isle of Sheppey these are very much visible.
To read about Deadmans Island click here.
And then the war ended!
And then the war ended, people left the forts and they were pretty much forgotten about. This was at least until the lat 60’s when a certain Roy Bates took over Roughts Tower and turned it into the Principality of Sealand.
Sealand will get its own article, but if you need a crash course in how to start your own country click here
They have also in fairness been a bit of an inspiration to us at Lets Buy An Island, which you can read about here
So, Knock John Tower
Knock John Tower like the other forts was built as alarmed defence platform. And as you might where have guessed it is one that has not been torn down. This led to a brief period where it was occupied by Radio Essex, but since then it has been left to decay somewhat.
There have though been many people that have done Urbex here, as well as attempts to form some sort of organisation to not just preserve all the Maunsel Forts, but Knock John in particular. Alas these have largely ended up in farce and arguments. Splitters anyone?
Can you buy Knock John?
This K, so no you cannot buy Knock John Tower, BUT if you did want to go down the route of what the Principality of Sealand did, then it has been suggested that this would be the best of the current forts to “squat” in.
The problem? Well it now falls into UK territorial waters, so is different to Sealand and has gone through some decay. Worth a try though? Hell yeah.
Regardless of what happens though we at International Islands sincerely hope that they are preserved for suture generations, rather than just torn down.
