Construction of Hoo and Darnet Forts
was very difficult due to the instability of the ground. The original
plans had to be revised, along with the original intended armament for
the forts, in order for building to continue. An upper tier for each
fort was scrapped entirely and the number of guns reduced from 25 to
11. As a further supporting measure, thick iron bands were placed
around each fort.
In spite of the revision of the plans, close monitoring of building
progress and extra precautions taken during construction, structural
problems continued to be encountered. Fort Darnet was flooded in 1862
after a dam failed and cracks appeared in both forts. Eventually each
fort was weighted with 3,500 tons of ballast, yet the problems of
water seepage continued.
When they were finally completed the two forts were indentical; each
had an upper level of 11 gun casemates over a lower level containing
mess rooms, officers quarters, ablutions, cook house and stores.
Behind these were the magazines, running around the inside perimeter
of the entire fort. Each gun had its own magazine; light came from
lanterns easily accessible via the lighting, or lamp, passages. The
magazines were connected to the gun casemates by means of separate
shell and cartridge lifts for each gun.
Both forts remained manned and gunned right up to and including World
War Two, when they saw use as mine observation stations. Both sites
have since been sold; Hoo remains in nominal management and ownership
of the MOD, and Darnet has been sold privately. They have been given
the status of Scheduled Monuments, but this has not prevented them
from being damaged by the inevitable vandalism. In more recent times
Darnet has been deliberately and permanently flooded to prevent
further damage.
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Access is not possible, this is on
private land.