House-buyers looking for a more unusual place to call home are being invited to make an offer for Golden Hill Fort, Freshwater, Isle of Wight.
The fort, built between 1863 and 1872, is a Grade I listed fortified Victorian barracks that has been named a Scheduled Ancient Monument and sits upon an elevated hilltop overlooking the Solent complete with tunnel entrance and dry moat.
Following the decommissioning of the property in the 1960s, the fort was initially developed as a visitor and craft attraction and has been used lately for light industrial purposes.
London-based Humberts Leisure, which is handling the sale jointly with Bernards Estate Agents of Southsea, said the fort had also recently gained planning consent from the Island council for conversion of the property to 35 residential apartments of one or two bedrooms each.
John Mitchell of Humberts Leisure said: "Golden Hill Fort is a fascinating hexagonal shaped building which offers large, well proportioned rooms together with many interesting features ideal for residential conversion."
Offers are being sought in the region of £650,000 for a short leasehold interest with an option to purchase the freehold for a further £500,000.
GOLDEN HILL FORT FACTFILE:
Golden Hill Fort, an hexagonal structure with 180 rooms, was built between 1863 and 1867 as the hub of the West Wight's defence system against foreign attack.
The fort had positions for 18 guns, and provided accommodation for eight officers and 124 men. It also had on-site hospital facilities for up to 14.
It was the Western District School of Gunnery from 1888 until the Second World War, and then served as a barracks, before being abandoned.
In recent decades the Golden Hill Country Park was established around the fort, and it became occupied by small factory units.
In the early and mid-1990s it became known as a venue for rave parties, and in 1996 was purchased by Emsworth-based Heron Leisure with the intention of creating a museum celebrating the famous 1970 Isle of Wight pop festival.
In 1997 a new night club, called Sirius, was opened within the fort.
