Two historic forts in the Solent, No Man's Fort and Spitbank Fort, have been put up for auction with a guide price of £1 million each. The properties, marketed by Savills, were previously listed at £3 million apiece but failed to find a buyer.
The forts were built in the 19th century as part of the Palmerston Forts, a series of defensive structures created to protect Portsmouth from a French naval invasion. Constructed between 1865 and 1880 on the advice of the 1859 Royal Commission, they cost £1,177,805 – about £88 million in today's money. Despite being armed, they never saw action and earned the nickname 'Palmerston's Follies'.
Decommissioned by the Ministry of Defence in 1956, the forts were later bought by entrepreneur Mike Clare, founder of the Dreams bed company, who converted them into boutique retreats under his business Clarenco. No Man's Fort, situated between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, is a four-storey hotel with 23 bedrooms, a pub, a nightclub, a helipad and rooftop BBQ terraces. Spitbank Fort, at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbour, is a nine-bedroom hotel with a restaurant, bars, a wine cave, a swimming pool and a spa.
Clare began selling his three forts in 2019. Horse Sands Fort, earmarked as a museum, sold for £715,000 in 2021, but No Man's and Spitbank have remained unsold. Both forts have been closed to guests since 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Robin Howeson, Head of Savills Auctions, said: 'Throughout my career as an auctioneer I've seen several sea forts hit the market that have achieved impressive prices as buyers have sought to pursue these trophy assets. Having been carefully restored by the current owners, No Man's and Spitbank Fort represent exceptional market value, each guided at £1 million. Both offer an opportunity like no other; a waterfront location, up to 99,000 sqft of space and a chance to champion the heritage and legacy of these iconic maritime structures.'
