Got $4 million on hand? Now you can buy this private island with its own fort
For $4 million, you can purchase an island off the coast of Wales, complete with a 19th-century fort, perfect for indulging your Regency-era fantasies.
Thorne Island is being listed by Strutt & Parker, a firm known for its high-end real estate offerings across the UK. The lucky buyer will acquire the 2.49-acre island, which once served as a large military base in the mid-1800s. According to the agency, the property was one of “twelve forts constructed around the entrance to Pembroke Dock as part of Palmerston’s Haven defences”—a strategic effort to guard against Napoleonic invasion.
Once the threat from France subsided, Thorne Island transitioned into a place of leisure. Since 1932, it has operated as a hotel. Within the fort’s walls, there’s also a private family home. While the current owners have used the island as a personal retreat, the future buyer could take advantage of the existing hotel license, which allows for up to 20 guests across five bedrooms.
Restoration and upgrades undertaken by the previous owner
The owners completed a restoration project before putting it on the market, which included “sandblasting the modern plaster work to reveal the original brickwork,” as well as “establishing the renewable energy services.”
If you decide to buy, you will be able to take advantage of the solar energy system that has been installed, which allows for hot water and underfloor heating to keep warm. Additionally, a 250,00 litre rain harvesting system has been built on the island, which is connected to a reverse osmosis system, which provides the island with safe drinking water.
Mike Conner, the current owner, who purchased the island for $670,00 (£500,000) in 2017, told CNN that the renovation took around 315 helicopter trips. Though the renovation was much more intensive than he had thought, the price reflects the scale of the project.
Potential buyers will need to consider the additional costs associated with the island’s remote nature, as all goods needed to run a hotel would need to be brought over by boat or by air. The closest town is Milford Haven, which is home to a harbor, as well as supermarkets, restaurants, and a train station.
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