Victorian sea forts built to protect Britain from French invasion in the 1800s which were later transformed into luxury hotels by the Dreams bed tycoon have gone back on the market for £4.5m less after failing to sell.
Horse Sand Fort, No Man’s Fort and Spitbank Fort, collectively known as ‘Palmerston’s Follies’, were commissioned by Britain’s oldest first-time Prime Minister Lord Palmerston amid concerns about the strengths of Napoleon III and his naval forces.
Mike Clare, the founder of Dreams bed company, bought the forts in 2009 and while While Horse Sand Fort was sold to a private buyer in 2021, Spitbank Fort and No Man’s Land Fort still need new owners.
Mr Clare spared no expense converting the two forts into exclusive hotel retreats, with Spitbank opening to guests in 2012 and No Man’s Fort in 2015.
He decided to put the sea fort hotels – that can only be reached by boat – up for sale for £5m each in 2018 when the business was generating a turnover of £4m a year.
No Man’s Land Fort, now a hotel (pictured), is still on the market for £3m – £2m less than its original sale price
Mike Clare, the founder of Dreams bed company, bought the forts in 2009. Pictured: One of the bedrooms in No Man’s Fort
The hotels closed when the pandemic hit in March 2020 and they have not reopened since. Pictured: Spitbank Fort
Spitbank Fort (pictured) is now on the market for £2.5m – half its original price tag and considerably less than it cost to refurbish the 150-year-old defences
Horse Sand Fort (pictured) sold to a private buyer in 2021. But the other two forts have not sold yet
But when the pandemic hit in March 2020, the hotels were shut and have not reopened since. Potential deals to sell the forts were also scuppered by Brexit and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The forts were acquired in 2009 by businessman Mike Clare (pictured), founder of the Dreams bed company
The historic forts have had several price drops since their closure and Spitbank Fort is now on the market for £2.5m – half its original price tag and considerably less than it cost to refurbish the 150-year-old defences.
No Man’s Fort, which has 23 guest suites and seven bedrooms, is on the market for £3m – £2m less than its original sale price.
It boasts four stars and can accommodate up to 200 people at a time. Alternatively guests can hire out the entire venue for weddings, corporate events or other special occasions.
The hotel, which is 1.4-miles from the Isle of Wight, has five bars, each with a different theme, a restaurant and a spa. In keeping with its military history there is also a laser battle play area.
One of its star features are its rooftop hot tubs, with stunning views out onto the Solent.
Spread across four floors, the hotel also comes with a lighthouse and helipad for guests to arrive in style.
Solent Forts remain adamant that the price is not the most important thing and they would rather find the right buyer.
They are being sold with an option of planning permission in place to convert the unique hotels into residential use, if a buyer so chooses.
Spitbank Fort boasts stunning views across the ocean. The hotels can only be reached by boat
The stand-out feature at Spitbank is the open top roof terrace, which boasts a hot tub, hot pool, sauna and fire pit
Solent Forts remain adamant that the price is not the most important thing and they would rather find the right buyer. Pictured: Spitbank Fort
With a smaller capacity of 60, Spitbank – which is about a mile south of Portsmouth Harbour – only has nine luxury guests suites, kitted out with four-poster beds and opulent bathrooms.
As well as a restaurant and two bars, there is also a ‘wine cave’ and an event space that functions as a casino
Spitbank Fort has 33,000 sq ft of accommodation over three floors with nine luxury guest suites
Martin England, from Solent Forts, said: ‘We have had a lot of interest but just not got it over the line. We had people coming in with international monetary deals that have then fallen apart because of the current global situation.
‘We had Brexit, then Covid, then a war. So investors have been holding back, but I think the market is coming to the right time now.
‘We took the initiative to get planning permission after some buyers in London expressed interest in having it as a holiday home for them and their families, but we have also had interest in businesses looking to use them as their head office.
‘We are looking to move on now, we won’t be opening them again and Mike is looking to retire.
‘Mike is looking for the right future for the forts. He is very keen on his British history – and these would be owning a unique piece of British heritage.
‘We purchased these strategic defences and turned them into a five-star bijou hotel and a four-star events venue.
‘He wants to see them in the right hands. I’m not saying money is not important, but it’s not the be all and end all.’
With a smaller capacity of 60, Spitbank – which is about a mile south of Portsmouth Harbour – only has nine luxury guests suites, kitted out with four-poster beds and opulent bathrooms.
The stand-out feature is the open top roof terrace, which boasts a hot tub, hot pool, sauna and fire pit.
Horse Sand Fort (pictured) retained the 100 chambers and living quarters, original gun carriages and armour plated walls while it was a museum
A helicopter is pictured landing at No Man’s Land fort. The sea fort became a luxury hotel but has failed to sell
Mike Clare, the founder of Dreams bed company, bought the forts in 2009. Pictured: No Man’s Land Fort
The forts, which have 15ft thick granite walls, were built in the Solent in the 1860s. Pictured: No Man’s Land Fort
As well as a restaurant and two bars, there is also a ‘wine cave’ and an event space that functions as a casino.
The forts, which have 15ft thick granite walls, were built in the Solent in the 1860s as part of Prime Minister Lord Palmerston’s coastal defences to prevent a naval invasion by France.
The invasion never came and the buildings were dubbed ‘Palmerston’s Follies’ and criticised as costly and unnecessary at the time.
The Solent Forts served a purpose to protect Britain from the Nazi invasion as anti-submarine defences were strung between them, but they were then decommissioned by the Ministry of Defence in 1956.
No Man’s Fort has 99,000sq ft while the smaller Spitbank Fort has 33,000 sq ft of accommodation over three floors.
The company applied for planning permission for change of use of both forts from a hotel to private residential accommodation, which was approved.
The third Solent Fort, the derelict and undeveloped Horse Sand Fort, had been used as a museum previously. It sold to a private UK buyer in 2021 for £715,000.
