Humber Forts
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The Humber Forts are two large fortifications in the mouth of the Humber Estuary in northern England: Bull Sand Fort (Template:Coord) and Haile Sand Fort (Template:Coord).<ref name=ps2>Template:Cite PastScape</ref><ref name=ps1>Template:Cite PastScape</ref>
History
The two forts were planned in 1914, at the start of the First World War, to protect the sea entrance to the Humber Estuary. They stand Template:Convert above the water and have a diameter of Template:Convert. There was accommodation for 200 soldiers. Started in May 1915, they took more than four years to build and construction was not finished until December 1919, a year after the war ended.
During the Second World War the forts were reactivated and modernised. They were regularly attacked by enemy aircraft. During this time, they installed submerged netting to prevent enemy submarines from travelling up the estuary to Hull or Grimsby. The forts were finally abandoned by the military in 1956.<ref name=ps1/><ref name=ps2/>
Bull Sand Fort
Bull Sand Fort is Template:Convert from shore off Spurn Head. It is a 4-storey concrete building with Template:Convert of armour on the seaward side, and originally armed with four 6-inch guns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was built with great difficulty as its sandbank is Template:Convert below low water.
In 1987 it was given a Grade II Listed Building status.<ref name=ps2/><ref>Template:NHLE</ref> In 1997 it was sold to the Streetwise Charitable Trust, who intended to restore the fort for use as a drug rehabilitation facility. The plan failed eventually.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The trust no longer operates.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref> Template:Cite web </ref> Administratively, it is within the East Riding of Yorkshire and civil parish of Easington.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In July 2022, it was listed for sale by auction, with a guide price of £50,000, through Savills estate agents.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The fort was sold for £490,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Haile Sand Fort
Haile Sand Fort or Sand Haile Fort<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> is the smaller of the two and is situated around the low-water mark between Cleethorpes and Humberston on the Lincolnshire coast.<ref name=ps1/>
In February 2016 the fort was put on the market.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It remained unsold until it was put up for auction in October 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was sold for £117,000 at the auction to an unnamed purchaser.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>