Camping on Grain Tower - Isle of Grain, Kent

leocook21

Aug 23, 2025

2 min read

Updated: Sep 9

Located in the mouth of the River Medway, Grain Tower is an off-shore mid-19th century gun situated just east of Grain.

Grain Tower in Isle of Grain - Abandoned coastal fort, brick and stone structure with graffiti, stands on stilts by the sea. Bright blue sky, calm, desolate ambiance.

It was built to protect the dockyards of Chatham and Sheerness from a perceived French naval threat during a period of tension in the 1850s, however artillery technology in this time improved rapidly, making it near obsolete once built. This was until it was used for defense against raids by fast torpedo boats. It was used in both First and Second World Wars, before being decommissioned and abandoned in 1956.

Grain Tower in Isle of Grain - Abandoned building on stilts in a vast, desolate landscape. Distant red lights from wind farm dot the horizon; the scene is moody and atmospheric.

Low tide was between midnight and 1am, so we had a lot of time to kill before hand. We spent a long time in Chatham, before stocking up on snacks and splitting a cab down to the village of Grain, where we walked to the coast. Only being half 10 at night, we wondered if the tide would not be far out enough to walk the sludgy path down to the tower yet. We set up to take some photos, I took the opportunity to use my tripod for some long exposures which allowed us to see how far out the tide actually was.

Grain Tower in Isle of Grain - Man stands by graffiti-covered ruins under starry night sky, hands in pockets. Distant industrial lights glow softly.

This is definitely a walk requiring at least hiking boots, not cheap plimsolls, which Ilia learnt the hard way! Once we arrived, we climbed the ladder and explored, keeping our torches bright enough to see, but dim enough to not alert the coastguard. I originally was planning to set up my hammock, but there wasn't anywhere too convenient for it, so thankfully Ilia's tent was big enough for me to share, which was probably wise considering the coldness of the night.

Inside Grain Tower in Isle of Grain - Green tent in an abandoned, graffiti-filled building with open windows; mood is urban and gritty.

We "woke up" (if you could call that sleep - although relatively comfy) just after 5am in time for sunrise. What an experience waking up to watch the sun appear whilst stuck on a fort surrounded by the ocean. After taking photos and exploring more, the tide was back out far enough by 10:30 so we could climb back down and walk back to land, grab some croissants from the local Co Op, and get the bus to Rochester for our train home.

Grain Tower in Isle of Grain - A trail of white light runs up the stairs of an abandoned building at night, with a starry sky and graffiti on the concrete walls.

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