Man-made island fit for a Bond villain up for sale - for £4 million
By BEN FARMER
Last updated at 22:41 15 July 2007
For a secretive owner with a desire for privacy and £4 million to spare, it promises to make an ideal home.
Suitable for a shy superstar, a security conscious Russian billionaire or even an aspiring James Bond villain, No Mans Land Fort is the most secure property in the county.
And if its towering armour-plated granite and steel walls do not afford enough protection, then the owner can take comfort that the nearest neighbours are separated by more than a mile of sea.
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The Victorian sea fort off the coast of Portsmouth was originally built to house nearly 80 soldiers to fend of an attack from the French navy.
More than a century later, it has spent its recent life as a luxury hotel complete with 21 sumptuous themed rooms, two helipads and heated indoor swimming pool.
Now after the previous owner has been jailed and his company collapsed, the fort is once again on the market.
Rachel Halliday, spokeswoman for administrators KPMG, said: "We are letting people express an interest in the property before we invite offers for it, but is expected to fetch up to £4 million.
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"This property is certainly a one-off and we have never had to sell anything this unusual before.
"It is such a unique place that we are expecting interest from a number of people."
The imposing fort was one of a string of fortifications along the south coast ordered by Victorian Prime Minister Lord Palmerston who feared an attack from Napoleon III.
Built between 1861 and 1880 it needed a huge engineering effort to cut vast blocks of granite and transport them by barge to the building site, before they were lowered onto the sea bed for its foundations. It was built complete with lighthouse and emplacements for 49 cannon.
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The fort is nearly 200 feet across and rises 60 feet from the sea. Its water supply comes from a borehole sunk into the seabed and it has its own electricity generators.
Its sunken inner centre is screened from the elements by a glass roof and it's interior now contains all modern luxuries. As well as the themed bedrooms such as the history of Concorde room, it boasts jacuzzis, a gym, a roof garden and two restaurants.
The exotic location is well known to passengers on the Isle of Wight ferry and has also featured as a backdrop to a 1971 Dr Who adventure called The Sea Devils starring Jon Pertwee.
No Man's Land was last on the market two years ago for around £3 million when singer Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran was reported to have viewed it to use as a hide away.
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Instead it was bought by property financier Lexi Holdings, which went bust last year owing £100 million.
Shaid Luqman, the firm's managing director, had been named young entrepreneur of the year in 2004, but was jailed for 18 months in February for failing to comply with court orders over his failed company.
During the Second World War the fort housed anti aircraft guns but was decommissioned in 1957.
It was turned into a private residence in the 1990s before it's reinvention as a luxury hotel and an events and hospitality venue to be used by businessmen to entertain their clients.
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