Historical sea forts each sell for more than £1m

No Man's Fort boasts its own lighthouse and helipad

Two sea forts that were built to deter a French invasion in the 19th Century have each been sold at auction for more than £1m.

The pair, both previously converted into luxury hotels, are among four so-called Palmerston's Follies - artificial island fortifications in the Solent between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

No Man's Fort sold for £1,120,000 while Spitbank Fort fetched £1,010,000 at the Savills sale on Tuesday.

The identity of the buyer is not yet known.

The seller, businessman Mike Clare, who founded the Dreams bed company, previously marketed the pair for a combined price of £8.25m.

In 2021, he sold the derelict Horse Sand Fort for £715,000.

Savills said the landmarks offered a "one-of-a-kind living experience... panoramic views and exclusive privacy".

No Man's Fort has 23 en-suite rooms and a helipad, while the smaller Spitbank Fort boasts nine guest suites and armour-plated walls.

A Dr Who story, featuring actor Jon Pertwee, was filmed on No Man's Fort

Construction work on the Solent forts began in 1865 under former prime minister Lord Palmerston.

By the time they had all been completed in 1880, the invasion threat had passed.

During World War Two, gun emplacements on the forts formed part of Portsmouth's coastal artillery defences.

No Man's Fort appeared in a 1972 episode of Doctor Who, as Jon Pertwee's Doctor fought aquatic menaces the Sea Devils.

It was eventually sold by the Ministry of Defence in the 1980s.