No Man's Land Fort

History

The fort was designed by Captain E. H. Stewart, overseen by Assistant Inspector General of Fortifications, Colonel W. F. D. Jervois. Construction work began in 1865, and the fort was completed in 1880, long after the threat of a seaborne invasion from France had passed, at a cost of £462,500.

A 2020 report stated that during the Second World War, "the forts were used to defend the Portsmouth dockyards. Life on site was grim; those serving were deliberately chosen for their inability to swim, to avoid any attempt to escape".

No Man's Land Fort is almost identical to Horse Sand Fort. It has been used as a luxury home/hospitality centre for high-paying guests – due to the privacy it offers – with an indoor swimming pool and two helipads. In July 2004, Legionella bacteria found in the hotel's water system forced its closure.{{cite news |access-date=8 March 2008 |archive-date=27 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027021731/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/dorset/3879659.stm |url-status=dead

Refurbishing as hotel

The property was eventually sold by KPMG for £910,000 in March 2009. In March 2012, it was purchased by Clarenco LLP who also purchased Spitbank Fort and Horse Sand Fort, with the intention of refurbishing it as a hotel. The fort opened as a hotel in April 2015.

An October 2018 report stated that "the 22-suite No Man’s [was] open for business, whether overnight stays, corporate events or weddings".

In 2020, No Man's Land Fort, Spitbank Fort and Horse Sand Fort were listed for sale. No Man's Fort was described as a "99,000 sq ft hotel, restaurant and leisure complex on four floors, including a helipad". It was sold at auction in 2024 for slightly over a £1 million. The buyer is Londoner Edward Ward who claimed that the Fort is an impulse buy and he is looking for an operator for No Man's Land Fort.

In popular culture

The 1972 Doctor Who serial The Sea Devils used the fort as a filming location for several scenes.

References

References

1. "Solent forts".
2. "No Man's Land Fort".
3. "History of the Solent Forts". Royal Naval Museum.
4. (15 May 2024). "The £1m pair of Victorian sea forts for sale in the waters off Britain, complete with hotel rooms, nightclub and helipad".
5. (2009-07-03). "'Bargain' sale of £14m Victorian seafort". BBC News.
6. "Clarenco to operate a trio of forts in the Solent".
7. (26 March 2012). "Millionaire snaps up three forts off Portsmouth". BBC News.
8. (23 April 2015). "Historic No Man's Fort in the Solent re-opens as hotel". BBCNews.
9. "Places to Stay Archives".
10. Dyer, Oliver. (15 December 2024). "Solent No Man's Fort off the Isle of Wight seeks new tenant". Southern Daily Echo.
11. Dyer, Oliver. (2024-12-15). "Here's what's next for historic Solent fort after £1.12m auction sale".