| No Man's Land Fort | |
|---|---|
| Solent, England | |
No Man's Land Fort |
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Shown within United Kingdom Isle of Wight
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| Type | Fort |
| Coordinates | |
| Built | 1867-1880 |
| Current condition |
Complete |
| Open to the public |
No |
No Man's Land Fort was a fort built in the Solent as part of the Palmerston Forts. It is 2.2 kilometres[1] off the coast of the Isle of Wight and built between the years 1867 and 1880 to protect Portsmouth. It was built for a cost of £462,500, a considerable sum if adjusted for inflation*. (*According to the Bank of England Website, £462,500 at 1880 prices is equivalent to £43,391,356 as at December 2010)
No Man's Land Fort is almost identical to Horse Sand Fort. It is now 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.[2] The Fort was put up for sale in 2005 and again in 2007, but the company collapsed.[3][4][5] In March 2008, Harmesh Pooni, claiming to still be the owner, barricaded himself inside the fort in protest against the administrators KPMG.[6]
The property was eventually sold by KPMG, who repossessed the fort as acting administrators of property finance company Lexi Holdings from Mr Pooni, for £910,000 in March 2009.[7]
The 1972 Doctor Who serial The Sea Devils used the fort as a filming location for several scenes.
Other sea forts include Spitbank Fort, St Helens Fort and Horse Sand Fort.
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