Fortune favours the brave: WWI sea fort in need of total overhaul to go under the hammer with a guide price of £100,000
A wartime sea fort off the east coast of England is due to go to auction on November 1, with a guide price in the range of £100,000 to £150,000
At just more than the average first-time buyer deposit in the capital, avid naval historians might face competition from London leavers looking to escape the daily grind to take on their very own Grand Designs-style project.
Located at the mouth of the Humber estuary, Haile Sand Fort was built between 1915 and 1918 to protect Britain's coast during the war. It was manned during both World Wars, remaining in use until the early Sixties.
The fort cost an estimated £1.5million to build during World War One so, if it sells for even the upper guide price, the buyer could be snapping up a piece of British Naval history for 10 times less than the original construction cost.
Consisting of a circular observation tower on a hexagonal base, with a balcony and a steel jetty, the fort is four storeys in total, including below sea level basement rooms, a toilet and the former boiler room.
It has been for sale at various points over the past two years and, when it was first listed for sale for £350,000 in February 2016, its owner described it as needing "a bit of work".
The Blundells listing describes the lot as requiring "a complete overhaul if you wanted to make it habitable" yet, buyers with time and money to invest need only look at conversions of sea forts along the coast for inspiration.
Three forts floating in the Solent between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight went on the market earlier this year.
The trio of luxury fortresses — on sale for £11million — are over a mile from land and only reachable by boat or helicopter. Two of the three forts are currently used as luxury hotels while the third is being renovated.
For those with a more modest budget, Haile Sand Fort (Lot 20) will go under the hammer with Blundells Property Auctions from 1pm on November 1 in Sheffield.
"Who knows what will become of Halie Sand Fort but with only a few weeks away from the auction date this lot has already attracted a great deal of attention with early interest from conservation groups and commercial operators," says Blundells Property Auctions associate director and auctioneer Lucy Crapper.