Real estate service provider Savills is set to auction Darnet Fort, a nineteenth-century military fort located on the River Medway in Kent, at its final sale of the year, taking place on 10 December.
Darnet Fort comes to the market for the first time in 40 years and is to be offered with a guide price of £50,000.
The Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom constructed the fort between 1870 and 1872 as part of an inner defensive line protecting access to the naval dockyard at Chatham.
Although decommissioned before World War I, Darnet Fort was repurposed during World War II as an observation post, with additional platforms and pillboxes added. Originally, the fort was designed to accommodate a garrison of 100 men.
Fort Darnet is one of only two sea forts constructed on low-lying islands within the Medway channel, alongside Hoo Island, located just one kilometre upstream. The pair are thought to have been designed to create a bottleneck defence for the river and formed part of Britain’s extensive coastal defence system.
Today, Fort Darnet is a Scheduled Monument and is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
The fort comprises a striking circular structure with two levels: an open upper platform and a lower level featuring a series of gun points. While offered in fair condition, the magazine level is partially submerged. Accessible only by boat or kayak, the island was used for picnicking and leisure until the 1980s.
Adding to its historic appeal, the sale includes three barges, visible only at low tide, believed to have played a role in the D-Day landings.
Ben Fletcher of Savills Auctions said: “The sale of Darnet Fort presents a unique and rare opportunity to acquire a piece of British military history, and we are excited to be bringing this landmark to our final auction of the year.
“Used historically as a place for recreational activities, the forts could serve as the base for alternative uses, subject to the necessary planning consents.
“We anticipate strong levels of interest when it goes under the hammer in December from those keen to preserve its historic integrity or simply drawn to the uniqueness of owning such a rare and individual structure.”
