Stunning aerial drone photos showing abandoned and derelict forts in Kent have been captured by an expert pilot.

Geoff Watkins took the shots of the remote Fort Darnet and Hoo Fort on the River Medway and says their location has so far eluded him because they're difficult to reach within range of the unmanned aircraft.

But the Medway-based pilot, who runs Aerial Imaging South East, managed to access them thanks to a trip on a friend's hovercraft to get him close enough to the sites located off the Hoo Peninsula.

Aviation rules state drones should not be flown outside of the pilot's direct sight of 500m and with the offshore Victorian forts more than a kilometre from land and surrounded by mudflats and water, taking off from terra firma was not possible.

Geoff said: "Although flying out to them is well within the capabilities of many drones, it would be against the law to do so. This meant to fly my drone there, I would need to find a way to physically get there.

"Fortunately, I had the opportunity through a friend I met on Facebook called Mark, who kindly offered me a ride to the islands on his hovercraft so I could get some drone images."

Since taking up aerial photography in 2019, qualified drone pilot Geoff has captured pictures of some of Medway's best known landmarks including Rochester Castle, Upnor Castle and Chatham Dockyard.

The historic and often forgotten forts never saw their guns fired in anger but still remain significant landmarks in the Medway estuary.

Hoo Fort was built after an 1859 Royal Commission to protect the Medway from invasion and protect the naval dockyard in Chatham.

The round fort was originally designed for two tiers of artillery but due to issues with subsidence during construction and overrunning costs was completed in 1871 with a single tier of 11 nine-inch muzzle loading guns.

Built at the same time as Hoo Fort and from the same recommendations as its twin, Fort Darnet was completed in 1872 and could house a garrison of 100 soldiers.

It too suffered the same overrunning cost and subsidence issues and was also restricted to the single tier of 11 guns.

Fort Darnet was used for gunnery practice until one of the guns cracked in its casemate in January 1879. Its magazine level is flooded but remains in reasonably good condition.

Both sites were decommissioned before the First World War but were used in the Second World War as observation posts with pillboxes and platforms built on top of the structure.

Picturing the forts is a challenging feat not just because of the difficulty accessing them and flying legally, says Geoff.

"Flying anywhere round the estuary with a drone is something that needs to be done with great care and consideration.

"Many birds live and breed out in the marshes and on the islands. Disturbing them can have a catastrophic impact on them and drones do alarm the birds if care is not taken.

"I had to ensure that I kept a good distance from the wildlife and birds in particular, to cause as little disruption as possible.

"This meant I was not able to get as low and close as perhaps I’d have liked to, but I need to be considerate of the wildlife.

"The trip was a fantastic experience, and although the sun was obscured by clouds for most of the trip, I did manage to get a few good photos and video clips.

"I am looking forward to making another trip soon, and perhaps visiting the sunken U-boat wreck UB 122."

Both forts are listed as scheduled monuments.

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