This Historic Welsh Island Fort For Sale Is The Ultimate Fixer Upper

Here’s a residential retreat that will make you work to earn the solitude it offers: A historic island fort located off the coast of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire in the UK is on the market for £400,000 (approximately $535,400), but it’s not exactly move-in ready. In fact, prospective buyers should definitely be prepared to roll up their sleeves and dedicate some serious elbow grease and ingenuity to the Stack Rock Fort project, particularly because it hasn’t been updated in over 150 years.

In addition to the obvious appeal of securing the deed to a personal island fort, the property has a rather unique, historically pertinent backstory that spans back to 1539 when Englishman Thomas Cromwell eyed the site for a possible fortress.

According to the listing on Purple Bricks, the deteriorated fort was originally built between 1850 and 1852 to defend Britain from an invasion by France’s Napoleon III. When it was fully operational, it housed 16 18-ton guns and was manned by up to 150 men. In 1859, a new building was added to close in the gun tower, but the property was disarmed in 1929 after serving its purpose during World War I. In 2015, the Stack Rock Fort was placed on the market for $200,000.

Described as having an “unbelievable scope for development,” the Grade II listed historically-protected building is currently accessible only by boat or helicopter. Behind its curved exterior are three levels adjoined by spiral staircases. The structure also has vaulted ceilings, red brick arches, an interior courtyard, canon rooms, former sleeping quarters and plenty of windows that give way to 360-degree views of the surrounding Haven waterway.

Although the property needs far more than a few easy home upgrades, the asking price is apparently still less than the average cost of a home in London.

h/t Curbed