Skip to main content

This Island Fortress is for Sale and You Can Own It for Less than You Think

Purple Bricks

Anyone who has watched or read Game of Thrones has definitely imagined owning their own island fortress a la Dragonstone.

Well, good news people of the Seven Kingdoms, because now’s your chance — though you’ll be swapping locations from the fictional Narrow Sea for the very real Irish Sea.

Just off the coast of Wales, the Stack Rock Fort is a Grade II listed building (the United Kingdom’s equivalent to being on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places) for its unique contribution to the defense of Wales in the 19th century during a French invasion led by Napoleon III. It was built between 1850 and 1852 and then updated in 1859 with a new building that completely encased the original gun tower.

Stack Rock Fort isn’t the first fort to exist on Stack Rock, as there have been previous forts here built for defense, with the earliest proposals made by Thomas Cromwell in 1539 (which did not come to fruition). The fort in its current form was built to hold 32-pounder guns, a single 12-pounder for protection of the walls of the dock, one officer, and a garrison of 30 men.

Currently uninhabited and uninhabitable, Stack Rock Fort features a nearly circular design with a partially open interior courtyard all squatly placed on a pile of rocks barely breaching the sea’s surface. Located in a bay just a few yards offshore from Milford Haven, Wales, and, according to the firm representing the sellers, “Previous owners have inquired about the potential to turn the fort into a commercial residence with links to the mainland.” Which is exactly what we’d do if we had the dough to make an offer on this spectacular fortification.

And how much of an offer would they need to sell? Currently, Purple Bricks and property expert Ross McKenzie are considering offers in excess of £400,000 (or roughly $530,000), which is the price of a nice house in a mid-sized American city.

So forget your suburban American dream, your job, and everything else. Liquefy your assets and head over to Wales to live your life out in a nearly-dilapidated fort in the Irish Sea.

If you prefer your castles and fortresses to be move-in-ready, check out Derek Jeter’s New York castle, which is also for sale.

Editors' Recommendations

This Eichler House in the Bay Area Was On and Off the Market in Less than a Week
eichler house for sale photos 7

When it comes to mid-century modern homes, there's no bigger name than Joseph Eichler. During his 20-year career from 1946 to 1966, more than 11,000 homes were built throughout California. Many firms still use his designs as jumping off points for the mid-century modern revival that's taken hold in recent years. Eichler had a signature style that helped to define the Mid-Century Modern home style. Streamlined architecture and low roof lines. Open spaces flooded with natural light. A connection to the outdoors through the incorporation of atriums, skylights, and transom windows. So whenever one of the prolific home developer’s creations hits the market, there's a mad rush to snag it.

Eichler homes are also known for their limited windows on the street-facing side of the home. He wanted to maintain privacy inside which in turn helped to further create a connection to the outside. By having windows face backyards, patios, and gardens, the space feels like a private oasis in the sea of houses that made up his iconic developments.

Read more
You’ll Definitely Want This Scottish Castle with a Pub, Treehouse, 32 Bedrooms, and 6 Cottages (Photos)
ackergill tower scottish castle for sale a86b559b f549 495f 9243 cf977483c7e8 0

There seem to be an awful lot of castles for sale lately, but none up to this point have had 32 bedrooms, 31 bathrooms, a pub, six cottages,  Europe's largest "treehouse," 30 acres of land, and a lease of shooting and fishing rights over the nearly 3,000 adjoining acres of land on the far northern tip of Scotland.

Ackergill Tower was first constructed in 1475 and existed in that original state until the mid-19th century when Scottish Architect David Bryce expanded and extended the building into roughly what it appears to be today. However, it wasn't until the 1980s and 2000s that Ackergill Tower was finally fully restored to its full luxurious old-world grandeur with its many halls, bedrooms, and public spaces.

Read more
Backcountry Hut Company Can Build You a Tiny Cabin Anywhere
backcountry hut tiny cabin on mountainside

Allow us a brief prediction of the future: by the end of the 21st century, homes are going to look mighty different from those of the past couple centuries.

Alternative housing options are being considered by more and more people as they attempt to reduce costs, live simpler, and put more focus on what surrounds their home, instead of what’s inside it. It makes sense. One of the best companies we've seen in this housing niche is Vancouver, Canada's Backcountry Hut Company.

Read more