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CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Private Welsh island with 19th century fort goes on the market
The site is only accessible by sea or air and has its own helipad. (Strutt & Parker via CNN Newsource) London — If you want to get away from it all, there can be few places more secluded than Thorne Island. Situated 3 nautical miles off the coast of Pembrokeshire in west Wales, United Kingdom, the private island is home to a 19th century fort. Extending to approximately 2.49 acres, Thorne Island has recently gone up for sale, with the owner seeking offers in excess of £3 million (US$4 million), according to the listing on the Strutt & Parker website. The fort's highlights include a helipad, a covered rooftop bar with a games room and a sea-view office. Originally designed to house 100 men, the restored property can today sleep up to 20 people in its five plush bedrooms, while other living spaces include grand dining rooms and terraces sheltered by barrack-style walls. The fort was built on the craggy outpost between 1852 and 1854 as part of a wider plan to strengthen national defenses against a possible Napoleonic invasion, according to the property listing. But over time the Welsh island's military role faded and the fort has served as a hotel and family home since the island was first sold in 1932. Its current owner, British tech entrepreneur Mike Conner, bought the island in 2017 for £500,000 ($670,000) after seeing a video about it on YouTube, he told CNN. Back then, the fort – protected by law due to what's known as a Grade II listing – had no windows or utilities and was waterlogged, but Conner said he was fascinated and seized the opportunity to undertake a once-in-a-lifetime restoration. Conner said he had 'underestimated a lot of things,' including the effort involved in installing flushing toilets. 'There was a lot of stuff that needed to be done to make it happen,' he said, including digging trenches through rocks and installing a running water system. It took his team 350 helicopter trips over two days to transport materials – from topsoil and building materials to heat pumps for central heating and hot water – to the island. Meanwhile, builders lived on-site in the original barracks for four years while reconstruction was underway. Part of the reason it took so long was that the fort was in bad shape when Conner took it over. Private Welsh island with 19th century fort goes on the market Tech entrepreneur Mike Conner said the undertaking had been part of a "mid-life crisis." (Strutt & Parker via CNN Newsource) Sandblasting the walls to reveal the original stone alone took six months, while the granite walls in parts were so saturated with historic moisture that it led to flooding, according to a press release sent to CNN. Conner – the founder of Appsbroker, which later became Qodea – said the overhaul, which has only been completed this year, cost more than £2 million ($2.7 million). Private Welsh island with 19th century fort goes on the market The covered rooftop bar is one of the property's highlights. (Strutt & Parker via CNN Newsource) The substantial investment included a £300,000 ($400,000) outlay on renewable energy – such as solar panels and battery storage – and a biodigester system for wastewater, which allow the off-grid fort to be completely self-sufficient, he said. Conner, 52, said he has a degree in industrial design, adding that he had embarked on the project as a bit of a challenge. Private Welsh island with 19th century fort goes on the market One of the property's five bedrooms. (Strutt & Parker via CNN Newsource) 'It was quite a healthy mid-life crisis by some of my friends' standards,' he said. The fort, which is only accessible by sea or air, had to be renovated to withstand salt air and storm-force winds. Private Welsh island with 19th century fort goes on the market The fort, which was built to defend against a French invasion, has undergone a major overhaul. (Strutt & Parker via CNN Newsource) Conner, who has spent time in the renovated fort with his family, believes it could be a perfect venue for luxury retreats and celebrations or for someone who really wants to get away from it all. As for him, he's on the lookout for a new challenge. 'I've enjoyed the journey and I think I would like to find another basket case,' he said. By Lianne Kolirin, CNN
CNN
3 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Private Welsh island with 19th century fort goes on the market
If you want to get away from it all, there can be few places more secluded than Thorne Island. Situated 3 nautical miles off the coast of Pembrokeshire in west Wales, United Kingdom, the private island is home to a 19th century fort. Extending to approximately 2.49 acres, Thorne Island has recently gone up for sale, with the owner seeking offers in excess of £3 million ($4 million), according to the listing on the Strutt & Parker website. The fort's highlights include a helipad, a covered rooftop bar with a games room and a sea-view office. Originally designed to house 100 men, the restored property can today sleep up to 20 people in its five plush bedrooms, while other living spaces include grand dining rooms and terraces sheltered by barrack-style walls. The fort was built on the craggy outpost between 1852 and 1854 as part of a wider plan to strengthen national defenses against a possible Napoleonic invasion, according to the property listing. But over time the Welsh island's military role faded and the fort has served as a hotel and family home since the island was first sold in 1932. Its current owner, British tech entrepreneur Mike Conner, bought the island in 2017 for £500,000 ($670,000) after seeing a video about it on YouTube, he told CNN. Back then, the fort – protected by law due to what's known as a Grade II listing – had no windows or utilities and was waterlogged, but Conner said he was fascinated and seized the opportunity to undertake a once-in-a-lifetime restoration. Conner said he had 'underestimated a lot of things,' including the effort involved in installing flushing toilets. 'There was a lot of stuff that needed to be done to make it happen,' he said, including digging trenches through rocks and installing a running water system. It took his team 350 helicopter trips over two days to transport materials – from topsoil and building materials to heat pumps for central heating and hot water – to the island. Meanwhile, builders lived on-site in the original barracks for four years while reconstruction was underway. Part of the reason it took so long was that the fort was in bad shape when Conner took it over. Sandblasting the walls to reveal the original stone alone took six months, while the granite walls in parts were so saturated with historic moisture that it led to flooding, according to a press release sent to CNN. Conner – the founder of Appsbroker, which later became Qodea – said the overhaul, which has only been completed this year, cost more than £2 million ($2.7 million). The substantial investment included a £300,000 ($400,000) outlay on renewable energy – such as solar panels and battery storage – and a biodigester system for wastewater, which allow the off-grid fort to be completely self-sufficient, he said. Conner, 52, said he has a degree in industrial design, adding that he had embarked on the project as a bit of a challenge. 'It was quite a healthy mid-life crisis by some of my friends' standards,' he said. The fort, which is only accessible by sea or air, had to be renovated to withstand salt air and storm-force winds. Conner, who has spent time in the renovated fort with his family, believes it could be a perfect venue for luxury retreats and celebrations or for someone who really wants to get away from it all. As for him, he's on the lookout for a new challenge. 'I've enjoyed the journey and I think I would like to find another basket case,' he said.
CNN
3 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Private Welsh island with 19th century fort goes on the market
FacebookTweetLink If you want to get away from it all, there can be few places more secluded than Thorne Island. Situated 3 nautical miles off the coast of Pembrokeshire in west Wales, United Kingdom, the private island is home to a 19th century fort. Extending to approximately 2.49 acres, Thorne Island has recently gone up for sale, with the owner seeking offers in excess of £3 million ($4 million), according to the listing on the Strutt & Parker website. The fort's highlights include a helipad, a covered rooftop bar with a games room and a sea-view office. Originally designed to house 100 men, the restored property can today sleep up to 20 people in its five plush bedrooms, while other living spaces include grand dining rooms and terraces sheltered by barrack-style walls. The fort was built on the craggy outpost between 1852 and 1854 as part of a wider plan to strengthen national defenses against a possible Napoleonic invasion, according to the property listing. But over time the Welsh island's military role faded and the fort has served as a hotel and family home since the island was first sold in 1932. Its current owner, British tech entrepreneur Mike Conner, bought the island in 2017 for £500,000 ($670,000) after seeing a video about it on YouTube, he told CNN. Back then, the fort – protected by law due to what's known as a Grade II listing – had no windows or utilities and was waterlogged, but Conner said he was fascinated and seized the opportunity to undertake a once-in-a-lifetime restoration. Conner said he had 'underestimated a lot of things,' including the effort involved in installing flushing toilets. 'There was a lot of stuff that needed to be done to make it happen,' he said, including digging trenches through rocks and installing a running water system. It took his team 350 helicopter trips over two days to transport materials – from topsoil and building materials to heat pumps for central heating and hot water – to the island. Meanwhile, builders lived on-site in the original barracks for four years while reconstruction was underway. Part of the reason it took so long was that the fort was in bad shape when Conner took it over. Sandblasting the walls to reveal the original stone alone took six months, while the granite walls in parts were so saturated with historic moisture that it led to flooding, according to a press release sent to CNN. Conner – the founder of Appsbroker, which later became Qodea – said the overhaul, which has only been completed this year, cost more than £2 million ($2.7 million). The substantial investment included a £300,000 ($400,000) outlay on renewable energy – such as solar panels and battery storage – and a biodigester system for wastewater, which allow the off-grid fort to be completely self-sufficient, he said. Conner, 52, said he has a degree in industrial design, adding that he had embarked on the project as a bit of a challenge. 'It was quite a healthy mid-life crisis by some of my friends' standards,' he said. The fort, which is only accessible by sea or air, had to be renovated to withstand salt air and storm-force winds. Conner, who has spent time in the renovated fort with his family, believes it could be a perfect venue for luxury retreats and celebrations or for someone who really wants to get away from it all. As for him, he's on the lookout for a new challenge. 'I've enjoyed the journey and I think I would like to find another basket case,' he said.
BBC News
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
White Cliffs house where Ian Fleming wrote James Bond for sale
A 1920s art deco seafront house in Kent, once owned by James Bond author Ian Fleming as well as playwright Noel Coward, is up for Cottage is one of four homes located directly under the White Cliffs at St Margaret's Bay and has a guide price of £1.75m. Fleming is believed to have written several of his Bond novels at the house between 1951 and 1957, including Moonraker. A spokesperson for estate agent, Strutt & Parker, said the house was "set in a "breathtaking location" with a "rich history of famous connections". Between 1945 and 1951 Noel Coward owned the home, formerly known as White Cliffs. The house was damaged by British and Canadian troops as they trained for D-Day and restored by the playwright and composer soon after he bought spent £2,000 pinning back the chalk cliffs behind his house, according to Dover Museum. It was during his time at White Cliffs that Coward discovered a love of sold the property to his friend Ian Fleming in 1951 and moved inland to used it as his weekend and holiday home for several years. He was so inspired by the dramatic White Cliffs of Dover and the picturesque surrounding region that he used the region as the setting for Moonraker, according to Dover Museum. Fleming enjoyed using his beloved Dover area as the location for the 1955 novel, his third Bond book. Its villain, Hugo Drax, built his Moonraker rocket just outside of Dover, near the seaside town of 1979 film bore little resemblance to the novel, with the action taking place in the United States, Italy and the Amazon Fleming died in Canterbury in 1964 aged 56.
Fox News
17-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Historic medieval monastery once visited by legendary kings hits market with royal catch
A jaw-dropping medieval property is on the real estate market in England, offering a pastoral life to interested buyers – but there's a catch. The property, called St. John's Jerusalem, was originally used by a group of warrior monks called the Knights Hospitallers. It's located in the historic village of Sutton-at-Hone in Kent. The house dates back to the 12th century, according to real estate agency Strutt & Parker. It functioned as a preceptory, or a local headquarters/monastery for the knights, who fought in the Crusades. "Dating from 1199 and set in moated gardens with a lodge cottage and former deer park, this historic house is privately set in a wonderful and very private and protected setting," the listing reads. The main house was remodeled in the Georgian era, still retaining some medieval charm. It boasts eight bedrooms, a high-ceilinged drawing room and a modernized kitchen. The listing calls the main building a "wonderfully atmospheric home of exceptional quality," featuring a 13th-century chapel at its east end. "The house is approached by a long carriage driveway, which meanders through the former deer park, beginning beside the two-bedroom lodge cottage … and ending at a generous turning circle with a central lawn in front of the house," the listing says. "This is a rare chance to acquire the opportunity to live in and care for this house." The whole package is being sold in the range of £3,250,000 – equal to over $4.4 million U.S. dollars. The catch? The property is not being sold outright — and plans call for it to be handed back to the National Trust in less than a century. The lease ends on Sept. 29, 2122. Edward Church, the real estate agent for the property, told Fox News Digital that listings like St. John's Jerusalem are rare. "These are among the most special houses as they are in the custodianship of this body that protects houses of national importance," Church said. "This is a rare chance to acquire the opportunity to live in and care for this house." The agent also noted it's possible to extend the lease in the future. Church added, "The lease is a necessary item and is something that really only exists in very rare circumstances." Though the lease might dull the appeal of the listing FOR some, whoever purchases the property will be walking in the steps of kings. The 24-acre property was also regularly frequented by legendary medieval leaders, including King John and Henry III, with the earliest-recorded visit in 1214. "Subsequently, the lease of the buildings and lands was given to a series of important royal favorites with London connections such as John de Pulteney, who built Penshurst Place and Thomas Cromwell," the listing notes. "The Order's lands in England, Sutton-at-Hone included, were confiscated and sold off by Henry VIII in 1540." The property also boasts a garden "like no other," complemented by an idyllic moat of a chalk stream and English yews, per Strutt & Parker. The current owners "have respected the history of the site (and the extensive archaeology beneath), including a garden of medicinal plants that complements the history of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, who established the original preceptory on the site," the listing adds. "An orchard (reflecting that established by naturalist Abraham Hill in 1670, who was responsible for introducing the Kentish Pippin apple to Kent) and a nuttery are found to the south of the house."
