Shopping News: Forts for Sale
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.VICTORIAN sea forts, built by Palmerston to keep the French at bay, have fantastic curiosity value but very few people actually want to own one. The latest to come on the market is Horse Sand Fort, a round concrete blob in the Solent, 240ft in diameter and standing 55ft clear of the water, wrapped in a 2ft-thick, quadruple-decker sandwich of wrought iron and concrete.
The cost of building it in the 1860s, which included paying for a platform and wooden huts for the 60 to 70 construction workers and frogmen, came to pounds 424,000. But in its present derelict state its value, according to the selling agents Stickley & Kent, has dropped to between pounds 50,000 and pounds 100,000.
Forts are notoriously difficult to value, though. Horse Sand Fort's neighbour, No Man's Land, which was transformed into a James Bond-style island (with lighthouse, three helicopter pads, a tennis court, indoor swimming pool and gymnasium), was put on the market at pounds 5.75m three years ago but was revalued at pounds 950,000 at the end of this summer. Knight Frank & Rutley are still looking for a buyer.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments