An Englishman’s Home Is His Castle
Those wishing to get away from it all can now snap up this unique property – a Napoleonic castle on its very own island.
Thorn Island Fort, off the coast of Pembrokeshire, South Wales, has gone on the market for just £750,000.
The Grade II listed fort, built in the 1850s to fend off the French, was once used as a hotel but has been empty for the last decade.
It has nine bedrooms – including the master tower bedroom – kitchen, living room, games room, dining room, many outbuildings and even a parade ground.
At the moment the property is accessed only by boat, but the stone fort has planning permission to link it to the mainland a quarter-of-a-mile away – by cable car.
Built between 1852 and 1859, Thorn Island Fort was one of three forts which formed the outer line of defences shielding the Royal Dockyard in Pembroke Dock from seaborne attack.
It was equipped with a bargette battery of nine 68lb smooth bore muzzle loading cannons, and held a garrison of over 100 men.
But the fort’s defences were never put to the test and by the end of the 19th century they were obselete. It has been privately owned since the 1930s and was later turned into a hotel.
It was bought by the Von Essen hotel group 10 years ago and in 2001 a family won a competition to live there as caretakers.
The company planned a £4million redeveloment and gained permission to build a cable car, but the plans were never carried out.
But for those without the funds to stretch to a full refurbishment job, there is a cheaper alternative nearby.
Sully Island, off the coast two miles south of Cardiff, was last week revealed to be on the market for just £95,000.
A bona fide bargain, the 14.5 acre island, which has an interesting past as a pirates’ bolthole, had been on the market last year for £1.25million.
There are no roads and access is by boat or on foot. A rocky causeway is uncovered for about three hours either side of low tide.
But anyone who wants to live there must be prepared to rough it. Surveyors warn that a buyer is unlikely to ever get planning permission to build on the island.
