Six-acre island with private beach off the coast of Plymouth goes up for sale

It’s a unique opportunity to own an ancient island – but the owner warns of military ghosts

Drake’s Island, off the coast of Devon (Carter Jonas)

A six-acre island off the Devon coast has been put up for sale, boasting historic artifacts, panoramic views, and a private beach.

Located near Plymouth, Drake’s Island has over 2,000 years of history. The small land mass is named after Sir Francis Drake, who first set sail from it to explore the world in 1577.

It was later used for military purposes, with the island now home to 18th Century cannons, Tudor fortifications and a underground tunnel network, all of which is included in the sale.

Located around just 500m from the mainland at it’s nearest point, the new owner could possibly even just swim to the nearest Plymouth harbour.

Historic buildings on Drake’s Island (Carter Jonas)

But it also takes less than 10 minutes to reach by boat, and comes with a natural harbour.

The island was last sold in 2019 for £6 million. It currently has no fixed price, but renovation costs are thought to be around £25 million. It comes with 30,000 sq ft of disused accommodation, most of which being historical buildings.

Sellers Carter Jonas have described the property as a “unique development opportunity.” It comes with planning permission to develop a 43-bedroom hotel on the premises, a plan which was begun by the current owner.

Mr Ali Rana is leading the sale for the estate agents, saying: “One of the things the owner has been thinking about is using this as a wedding venue where the guests would stay there and potentially put a restaurant, café at the end.

“It’s one of those opportunities where with some vision you could really create something special”.

Owner Morgan Phillips says he is looking to find a buyer as “conditions have altered over the past five years”.

Mr Phillips said: “I purchased this historic island in 2019 with ambitious plans,” adding that he is “seeking someone to take over and bring these dreams to life more quickly than I could.

Drake’s Island with Plymouth in the background (Carter Jonas)

“Being the steward of this amazing landscape has been one of the great joys of my life.”

“I hope to pass on the baton to someone passionate about the island’s surroundings and can realise its potential, and I would cherish the prospect of seeing these ambitions realised.”

The outgoing owner has also said he has been told by mediums that the island is haunted by 15 ghosts, all British militarymen.

“They are here to protect us. That’s what they did when they were alive and that’s what they’re still doing!” he says.