Interested in social distancing?  Looking for a unique residence or hotel venue, preferably one with serious armor plating? Do you also have a substantial cache of cash? If so, there are at least two UK sea forts on the market that may meet your needs.

Spitbank Fort — Fully Refurbished

Spitbank Fort is listed by the agents as a “9 bed detached house for sale.”  Detached is an understatement. Located in the Solent, near Portsmouth, England, the 162′ diameter fort is one of four sea forts built in the estuary between 1867 and 1878.  The asking price is £3,000,000, not including boats.

Built over fears of a French invasion, Spitbank Fort defended the Solent and the Portsmouth dockyards until the abolition of coastal artillery in 1956.

In 2009, it was put on sale for £800,000 but was sold before auction, reportedly for more than £1m. The fort was remodeled, with works reportedly costing around £2.6 million, and opened in 2012 as a luxury spa hotel and retreat with nine-bedroom suites.

Where foreign invaders failed, the pandemic succeeded in conquering the fort. In 2020, the use of the hotel was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The hotel was unable to reopen as other English hotels did in July, “due to their unique requirements in both transportation and sanitization requirements”. 

In 2020, Spitbank Fort was put on the market with a reported asking price of £4 million. Two years later, the asking price has dropped by £1 million.

Bull Sand Fort – a “Fixer-Upper”

If Spitbank is not to your taste or budget, you might be interested in Bull Sand Fort on the Humber estuary, which is listed for sale by auction, with a guide price of £50,000.

The listing reads in part:

A grade II listed sea fort constructed between 1915-1919 following the outbreak of World War 1, although the works were not fully completed until after the war had ended.

The fort is reinforced by concrete and its seaward side is fitted out with 12-inches of armour designed to withstand gunfire from heavy naval units. During World War 2 it was armed, besides the usual small and rapid-fire weapons, by two 6 inch guns and two 6-pounder guns. It had sufficient accommodation for a garrison of 200 men. …

The fort includes 3 floors with basement and magazine below sea level, and central 2-storey observation tower. Fresh water supply is available at the fort via an artesian well. Externally there is a balcony and jetty.

The fort was decommissioned in 1956.

In need of refurbishment throughout with potential for development / alternative uses, subject to consent.

Note: Old Salt Blog has no association or financial interest in the sale of these properties. If you wish to learn more or to make an offer, contact the linked agents. Do not contact us as the Old Salt Blog.

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.