Horse Sand Fort Image: Graham Horn
Between 1865-80, four forts were built in the Solent to protect Portsmouth and its harbor from sea attack and bombardment. Locally known as “Palmerston’s Follies” after the Prime Minister of the time, they were built in response to an invasion scare that was long over by the time the forts were completed.
Recently, one of the four forts, Horse Sand Fort, was sold by businessman Mike Clare for £715,000. In American real estate parlance, Horse Sand Fort might be referred to as a “fixer-upper.” The 200′ diameter round fort with two floors, referred to as “derelict” by the BBC, is in need of considerable refurbishment.
Mr. Clare also owns two of the other forts, Spitbank Fort and No Man’s Land Fort, which he has converted into luxury boutique hotels. In 2020, these were also put on the market with a reported asking price of £4 million for Spitbank and £4.25 million for No Man’s Land.
The fourth Solent fort, St Helens Fort, is now in private hands and not open to the public.
One final note about the Solent forts. When the forts were manned during World War II, “those serving were deliberately chosen for their inability to swim, to avoid any attempt to escape.”
Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.
Wonders what the taxes are
Some years ago a resident of one of the forts was prosecuted and fined for exceeding the speed limit for vessels in Portsmouth harbour approaches on his way to or from the fort. He was exceeding the limit by a factor of silly.