Own a unique slice of history as this former naval fortress on a Pembrokeshire island goes up for sale

Thorne Island is a Grade II* listed coastal fort built between 1852 and 1854 as part of the defences of Milford Haven. The fortress later served as a hotel and subsequently became a private five-bedroom residence offering over 8,000sqft of accommodation including a large reception and dining hall, kitchen with sea views, and a glass-fronted lookout office. The 2.49-acre island features courtyards, vaulted ceilings, exposed brickwork, a rooftop bar, lawned terraces and moorings. The property is fully off-grid with solar panels, rainwater harvesting, battery storage and an air source heat pump, and is offered for private treaty at a guide price of £3 million.

Thorne Island, a Grade II* listed coastal fort built in the 1850s as part of the defences of Milford Haven, has been placed on the market for £3 million by Plotfinder. Once a military stronghold guarding one of Britain's largest natural harbours, the island later became a hotel before being converted into a family home. Covering 2.49 acres, it provides restored living accommodation and self-sufficient energy systems in a highly secluded location, offering an ambitious housing project to those looking to renovate a house.

Constructed between 1852 and 1854, the fortress was one of a dozen designed to protect Pembroke Dock as part of "Palmerston's Haven defences." After leaving military service, it became a hotel during the 20th century and eventually a private residence. Few homes carry such a layered past - shifting from a Victorian naval stronghold to a place of leisure and now a self-sufficient family home - making Thorne Island unlike any other property on the market.

The fort now provides over 8,000sqft of accommodation, including five bedrooms, a large reception and dining hall, a kitchen with sea views, and a lookout converted into a glass-fronted office. Courtyards, vaulted ceilings and exposed brickwork sit alongside more modern additions such as a rooftop bar, lawned terraces and moorings. Extensive work has made the property fully off-grid, with solar panels, rainwater harvesting, battery storage, and an air source heat pump providing sustainable heating.

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