No Man's Land Fort
Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox military installation No Man's Land Fort, also referred to as No Man's Fort, is a sea fort in the Solent, near Portsmouth, England. It is one of the Palmerston Forts built between 1867 and 1880 after the recommendations of the 1859 Royal Commission. It is Template:Cvt in diameter,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and lies Template:Convert off the coast of the Isle of Wight.<ref>Template:Google Maps</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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".<ref name="countrylife.co.uk">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Fort was put up for sale in 2005 and again in 2007, but the company collapsed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In March 2008, Harmesh Pooni, claiming to still be the owner, barricaded himself inside the fort in protest against the administrators KPMG.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Refurbishing as hotel
The property was eventually sold by KPMG for £910,000 in March 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In March 2012, it was purchased by Clarenco LLP<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> who also purchased Spitbank Fort and Horse Sand Fort, with the intention of refurbishing it as a hotel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The fort opened as a hotel in April 2015.<ref name=bbchotel>Template:Cite news</ref>
An October 2018 report stated that "the 22-suite No Man’s [was] open for business, whether overnight stays, corporate events or weddings".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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".<ref name="countrylife.co.uk"/> It was sold at auction in 2024 for slightly over a £1 million.<ref name=Dyer>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In popular culture
The 1972 Doctor Who serial The Sea Devils used the fort as a filming location for several scenes.<ref name=bbchotel />