Maunsell Sea Forts off the Coast of England

The imagery here reminds me of ‘War of the Worlds’ or maybe even ‘Star Wars’ but what you see is actually abandoned sea forts off the coast of England. If you are into traveling abroad and exploring unique vacation spots which most of us will never see (or have even heard of), then the Maunsell Sea Forts should definitely be on your bucket list.

These fortified sea towers were built by England during the Second World War as a way to deter and detect incoming air raids by the German navy and airforce. Each fort consisted of seven towers featuring bofors, anti-aircraft guns, searchlight, and a control tower. England built a number of naval and army forts, and while some have been dismantled over the years, the remaining forts still exist and in the 1960’s and 70’s they were used as pirate radio stations to broadcast music and entertainment which BBC refused to air.

After decades of exposure to the elements, it’s “recommended” that visitors enjoy these historic sites from a boat, a safe distance away. If I was visiting, I would definitely not take my safety into consideration and do the exact opposite (but that’s just me). On a clear day, some of the towers can also been seen from the Shoeburyness East Beach but these structures look way too cool not to check out up close and in person.

World’s Smallest Nation

As cool as these towers are, another very interesting thing about the Roughs Fort (part of the Maunsell Sea Forts) is that it is the world’s smallest nation known as Principality of Sealand. Without getting too deep into the political aspect, the fort is currently “ruled” by the Bates family, and England has no jurisdiction as the fort is situated in international waters – seven nautical miles off the coast of England.

If I ever go back to England, this is definitely one place I have to check out. And of course it would make an excellent shelter should a zombie apocalypse every occur.

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