Napoleonic fort off Portsmouth coast gets £3m price tag

Spitbank Sea Fort, a granite island floating 1 mile south of Portsmouth Harbour, has been put on the market for £3 million.

The fort is one of three, designed in 1860 to to defend Portsmouth from naval attack by French ironclad warships. With 15-foot-thick granite walls and armour plating, construction of the three forts took 15 years to complete – by which time the threat of French invasion had passed.

Despite their lack of action during the Napoleonic wars, the forts were used sporadically in World War 2 and then decommissioned. They were then purchased in the 80s and converted into a museum.

The fort was, until recently, operating as a hotel but the owners have said that hospitality is no longer a viable option for the property - hence the sale.

A letter submitted with its planning application read as follows: '‘While the space has provided for a successful operation over the years hosting numerous unique events, the continued running costs and complexities associated with its current operation has seen the applicant seek an alternative, more viable use of the fort.’'

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Spitbank is spread over three floors. The first floor, at sea level, is where staff accommodation is located, alongside facilities for guests including a wine tasting room and a games room. The upper floors both contain a number of suites, some of which feature parts of the fort's original defence mechanisms (metal tracking for cannons and hammock hooks).

Knight Frank agent, Toby Turnage, said: “The size of the forts is amazing, the brick walls are about four or five feet thick. They are massive – incredibly well-built and engineered, especially given that they’ve been sitting in the middle of the Solent for the last 160 years.”

“I think having it as a private residence would be the coolest thing. Put a flag on it; claim independence and have your own little island. That or an experiential offering – a place for people to go and stay. You’re not going to find anything else like it.”

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