When I was in the Royal Engineers in 1965 I was on a Diving Course at the RE Diving School in Marchwood, Southampton. We course student divers were taken out to one of the forts in the Solent in a landing craft and we climbed up to the top in our rubber dive dry suits. From there we had to walk out on an I-beam that was used to pull ammunition up with a pulley. When we reached the end of the beam we had to jump off the 100+ foot high beam into the water below. It was a requirement to pass the course. I remember being terrified as I am scared of heights but managed it anyway. I passed the course as top student with very high marks. I was relieved that I only had to do that once. Later in my service I went back to the school as standby rescue diver/Instructor. h we took the course out to the fort to jump off I found that , as the courses junior instructor, I had to demonstrate to the students the correct and safe way to make the jump. I don't know how many times I ended up doing that but I DO know it was too bloody many. Never did it without being terrified of the walk out to the end.
little disappointed that we didn't get an actual exploration of the fort, a walk through through each area. a la IKS. Love hoisting the pirate flag at the end.
I served 3 years in there back in the mid 70s watching this vid i recognized some of the landings in the wings and the out buildings where i used to sometimes work on outside work parties brought back memories
too everyone saying the videos disappointing because he just told the story, you do understand thats why we all love exploring is the history behind them
Well done!It's a shame that these and many other similar sites have not been properly conserved as part of our national heritage,your efforts at least help to bring them to peoples attention,THANK YOU!
In fairness to the owners I believe that it was their intention to make the site a museum and work was started to clear the debris, however, the site needs a considerable investment and I'm not sure how financially viable it would be for them... It would be such a shame if it was left to just crumble away. Thank you very much for watching!
Glad I got this in my recommends. I grew up in and around Portsmouth looking at these forts from the beach so was always curious as to what was there. UrbEx is fascinating
I also grew up in this area as well. I use to go out to Stokes Bay and often wonder what I’d find on these forts that had been left abandoned. I believe they were de-commissioned around 1956. I did managed to get out to Spit bank Fort as a trip during one of the Navy Days that were held as open days of Portsmouth Naval Dock Yard. Spit bank fort was opened then as a museum. After all those years looking at these forts I found it fascinating. I still have a curiosity of these forts. Oddly enough, I always thought if I had the money I’d try to buy one!
Really enjoy your explorations! My dad (Barry Gibson, gardener) lives in Bembridge so your videos are very special to me. Ignore any negative comments. Your videos are very well presented, executed, edited, planned and enjoyable. Keep safe and keep on keeping on ... with you in spirit!
We used to sit there on the beach opposite, whenever our family walked out of the door, down two roads and we we there. Used to stare out at it for ages ok many a hot summers day. You always wonder what’s inside- it’s quite imposing, as they all are. Thanks for sharing. P.S. I always wonder how deep it is out there!
Epic, I have sailed past the forts many, many times and always wished I could visit to explore. One is now done up but the cost must be huge to maintain. Thanks. Andy UK
I love to explore were you are able to get the history of the area. Such as abandoned towns, homes, mining areas and the types. I schooled our children on weekend camping trips, and Drives. We would go one way and get home another way. On hot days, we would go around the lake we always camp at and get an ice cream for Hubby Daughter and I, but Son had serbet. We would get a cold drink. Kids got apple juice in a glass apple always. I a Pepsi and he had a Doctor Pepper. Always had at least 8 frozen 2 Lt. and smaller bottles. We always made it back to the camp before dark with enough time to get more wood for the fire and dinner about done. Our Son takes his Son just for short trips and will leave it to me to show him the places Our family comes from. I have been ordered to instruct him on how to get a vehicle unstuck in any weather. SO MUCH LOVE FOR THE VIDEO. I AM GLAD THAT YOU ARE NOT A NEWS CREW AND CUT THE INFORMATION DOWN TO 2 OR 4 MIN. JUST REMEMBER TO KILL THE ENGINE AND PULL UP THE SLACK , DON'T FORGET THE ANCHOR . WHAT A BLAST. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN VERY YOUNG TO EXPLORE AND BE EXCITED FOR WHAT THEY FIND. EXPLAIN WHAT THEY FOUND AND HOW IT WAS USED OR EVEN SHOW THEM HOW. I AM EXCITED TO SEE MORE OF YOUR VIDEOS!!!! I SEE GRAIN TOWER POOF .
Awesome vid man! These fort's, the navy memorial, round tower and the spinnaker tower in the distance were always a welcome sight after coming back from being away with the navy, you knew you were home, i miss Portsmouth.
Totally bad ass the whole trip was amazing but the placement of the flag made the video so much more better yall marked your territory by placement ad not grafitti or vandalism much love and respect brother
Just a thought; when these incredible forts were manned and in use, how did they get supplied with water? Was it piped in, brought by sea in tankers or were the forts built over fresh water springs? The latter may sound far-fetched, but there are springs of fresh water that come out offshore. Maybe the design incorporated drains that collected rainwater into a tank. Anybody have any gen on this? Nick.
Each of the sea forts had a well which extended down into the chalk aquifer deep beneath the bed of The Solent. When Spit Bank Fort was open to the public for Saturday night hog roasts and disco's you could look down the 400 foot shaft which had electric lights at intervals. It would have been impossible to supply the wartime garrison with enough fresh water without the wells!
Anyone who buys those has lost their minds. The work and costs required would be more than building a new one. Because it is in UK waters, it is also subject to all of their building codes. It will be almost impossible to meet those codes. Unless they get variances, there is no way. Even as a museum, vast portions of it would have to remain closed to the public.
As a regular Solent user I’m torn between the intrigue and the trespassing aspects. I'll quietly wind my neck in and just say I’m pleased to see you were all wearing life jackets.
Anyone with money could turn that into a resort, covered eternity pool in the middle, hotel rooms around the outside, solar panels, bars, restaurants, any number of possibilities, thanks for the tour.
My mates parents once owned this in the 90s. I think they bought it off the queens estate and later sold it to the mod or something like that. There are 5 keys, around 7 inches long. Each one has a number stamped at the top. My mate kept the 5th key.
Excellent information shared with a chat that is an offshoot of earthquake forecasting channel. To bandy about multitudes of alternative ideas. They will love this. I have seen pitches to get energy and water from the air. Falls in line with those. Would love to be off grid...
This got renovated into some flash Accommodation. There's a short clip of about 2 minutes on You Tube after the renovations were done. Has 2 Helipads, a grass area at the top, Deck Chairs etc. Looks nice.
good luck hauling several tons of soil. would be cool though, assuming you can find enough salt-tolerant plants to give good yield. trees would be liable to damage the structure.
The original asking price seems not too bad for such a fabulous site. What a totally unique home it would make for someone after a lot of work possibly, BUT when you see what prices some very ordinary homes make it seems not a lot to ask for a totally sturdy and well sited home. Great vid but more to be seen at some time in future possibly....
Great video thanks for sharing. Being a solent boater we pass these forts often. Didnt hear you mention about the wall that runs out to the forts just under the surface all the way from beach at South Sea. There are only certain points to pass the wall.
Fascinating. Thanks. You do wonder if these things should command such high asking prices or instead be leased, loaned or gifted to someone (English Heritage, etc) who will be able to make a business model work because they don't have the initial purchase cost. Though I guess that's already been suggested and it's the renovation not the £11m price tag that is the real killer.
Visited Spitbank years ago when the GFC did summer tours. Always wanted to buy one as they have spectacular views of the Solent, maybe if I win the lottery.
Great pirate exploring ... wish it was a longer video though. Glad you got the dinghy back and sorted the prop - the joys of seafaring. How long did the S&C stay up? Nice filming👍
Such a good video as always, I always look forward to your videos as I live on the Isle of Wight and have tried to gain access into some of these buildings but failed on some but glad that you managed to get it to them all so I can still see. Keep up the good work!
As a military construct, given the time it took to build, and the cost required, when it was finished, it seemed hardly worth the time, money and effort for what it achieved before it was decommissioned, and then abandoned.
During the Great War with Russia, the combined British and French armies attacked the naval base at Sebastopol from the landward side. This made the British painfully aware that their main naval base, at Portsmouth, was equally vulnerable to attack by both land and sea. The Imperial French Navy had just built a new base at Cherbourg and had acquired an ironclad battleship called "La Gloire", To counter the supposed threat from Napoleon III of France, Portsmouth was ringed with forts both on land and at sea. Of course, by the time they were finished France had been defeated by Germany in the Franco-Prussian War but that's another story!
Thanks for a great video. Echoing others, its shame that you didn't give a good video tour of the place. Was there a reason? I have been passed the forts a few times on power boat training. No Mans' Fort is a good waypoint for our purposes. They are impressive buildings and undoubtedly were expensive to build.
I recently uploaded another HUGE explore of an abandoned Prison, check out the video here:
ua-cam.com/video/bVhJ8DcDgI4/v-deo.html
Exploring Inside Huge Abandoned Sea Fort - (Horse Sand Solent Palmerston Fort) for sale?
When I was in the Royal Engineers in 1965 I was on a Diving Course at the RE Diving School in Marchwood, Southampton. We course student divers were taken out to one of the forts in the Solent in a landing craft and we climbed up to the top in our rubber dive dry suits. From there we had to walk out on an I-beam that was used to pull ammunition up with a pulley. When we reached the end of the beam we had to jump off the 100+ foot high beam into the water below. It was a requirement to pass the course. I remember being terrified as I am scared of heights but managed it anyway. I passed the course as top student with very high marks. I was relieved that I only had to do that once. Later in my service I went back to the school as standby rescue diver/Instructor. h we took the course out to the fort to jump off I found that , as the courses junior instructor, I had to demonstrate to the students the correct and safe way to make the jump. I don't know how many times I ended up doing that but I DO know it was too bloody many. Never did it without being terrified of the walk out to the end.
Thanks Phillp
Phillip Davies nice story, thanks.
Respect. Well done.
little disappointed that we didn't get an actual exploration of the fort, a walk through through each area. a la IKS. Love hoisting the pirate flag at the end.
Yeah pretty disappointing video had to fast forward most of the video
Thinking the same thing...not an exploration.
agree on that!
Agree about the nature of the visit - so much detail overlooked and breezed by... The falg I liked the least....
its on the list :-)
These forts were our playground as kids......so much fun
As an extra snippet.....
We found The Mary Rose in that same near exact location....... 😉
I wish the video had more footage of the fort itself
You Just told us a story, we want a full walk through
ua-cam.com/video/u3BmAQYnJ9w/v-deo.html
Great show and tell from USA state Illinois 👏
My dad was the roofer who kept these forts watertight throughout the 70s 80s and 90s
I served 3 years in there back in the mid 70s watching this vid i recognized some of the landings in the wings and the out buildings where i used to sometimes work on outside work parties brought back memories
Fantastic.... I didn't mean to spend my evening looking through your films. But I'm glad I did.
too everyone saying the videos disappointing because he just told the story, you do understand thats why we all love exploring is the history behind them
Cool vid 👊
absolutely brilliant narration and background info............best ive ever seen and heard!
Brilliant
Would make an amazing home 🏠
Fantastic gesture putting up the Jolly Rodger 🏴☠️
Thanks for sharing 👍🏻
Best thing youtube recommended in a while
Well done!It's a shame that these and many other similar sites have not been properly conserved as part of our national heritage,your efforts at least help to bring them to peoples attention,THANK YOU!
In fairness to the owners I believe that it was their intention to make the site a museum and work was started to clear the debris, however, the site needs a considerable investment and I'm not sure how financially viable it would be for them... It would be such a shame if it was left to just crumble away. Thank you very much for watching!
Great stuff but a real battle with the background music.... what a shame.
Great never seen before this, very informative. I love exploring when I can.
Thanks for sharing and Greetings from WW2HistoryHunter
I thought you joked about him being a pirate. Until I saw him. Even looked the part!
Glad I got this in my recommends. I grew up in and around Portsmouth looking at these forts from the beach so was always curious as to what was there. UrbEx is fascinating
I also grew up in this area as well. I use to go out to Stokes Bay and often wonder what I’d find on these forts that had been left abandoned. I believe they were de-commissioned around 1956. I did managed to get out to Spit bank Fort as a trip during one of the Navy Days that were held as open days of Portsmouth Naval Dock Yard. Spit bank fort was opened then as a museum. After all those years looking at these forts I found it fascinating. I still have a curiosity of these forts. Oddly enough, I always thought if I had the money I’d try to buy one!
Nice one mate, just come from your post on Facebook! Liking the content. Subscribed mate
Really enjoy your explorations! My dad (Barry Gibson, gardener) lives in Bembridge so your videos are very special to me. Ignore any negative comments. Your videos are very well presented, executed, edited, planned and enjoyable. Keep safe and keep on keeping on ... with you in spirit!
Dude, fantastic video and a great adventure, but the background music was a tad too loud and interfered with your commentary considerably, sorry.
Love this place, fabulous bit of 'offshore' urban expo !
We used to sit there on the beach opposite, whenever our family walked out of the door, down two roads and we we there. Used to stare out at it for ages ok many a hot summers day. You always wonder what’s inside- it’s quite imposing, as they all are. Thanks for sharing.
P.S.
I always wonder how deep it is out there!
I want long videos like this, that I can relax for awhile with vs knowing it'll end in a few minutes and I'll have to pick another video to watch
Epic, I have sailed past the forts many, many times and always wished I could visit to explore. One is now done up but the cost must be huge to maintain. Thanks. Andy UK
Great video, I've always wondered whats inside of these things, really enjoyed this one.
I've always wondered about these forts. Great video. Really well shot.
Masya Allah
Very Good Fort
Building Is Very Luxury
what an adventure of a lifetime mates
Great video very entertaining cheers pal love the isle of Wight have been many times👍
Used to play in Fort Gilkicker when I was a kid in the 60's.
Wow this place so beautiful I swear if I have the money 💴 it looks like a castle strong and solid
I thought the same. If I come across a million quids (and a half for some restoration and bringing in fiber optics lol), I'm getting it !
I love to explore were you are able to get the history of the area. Such as abandoned towns, homes, mining areas and the types. I schooled our children on weekend camping trips, and Drives.
We would go one way and get home another way.
On hot days, we would go around the lake we always camp at and get an ice cream for Hubby Daughter and I, but Son had serbet. We would get a cold drink. Kids got apple juice in a glass apple always. I a Pepsi and he had a Doctor Pepper. Always had at least 8 frozen 2 Lt. and smaller bottles. We always made it back to the camp before dark with enough time to get more wood for the fire and dinner about done.
Our Son takes his Son just for short trips and will leave it to me to show him the places Our family comes from. I have been ordered to instruct him on how to get a vehicle unstuck in any weather.
SO MUCH LOVE FOR THE VIDEO.
I AM GLAD THAT YOU ARE NOT A NEWS CREW AND CUT THE INFORMATION DOWN TO 2 OR 4 MIN.
JUST REMEMBER TO KILL THE ENGINE AND PULL UP THE SLACK , DON'T FORGET THE ANCHOR . WHAT A BLAST. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN VERY YOUNG TO EXPLORE AND BE EXCITED FOR WHAT THEY FIND. EXPLAIN WHAT THEY FOUND AND HOW IT WAS USED OR EVEN SHOW THEM HOW.
I AM EXCITED TO SEE MORE OF YOUR VIDEOS!!!! I SEE GRAIN TOWER POOF .
Absolutely brilliant lads!!!
Wow, some amazing footage there. Worth the Herculean efforts it took!
Cheers thanks very much 😁👍
Pirate flag at the end was class watched all of it very good
Awesome vid man! These fort's, the navy memorial, round tower and the spinnaker tower in the distance were always a welcome sight after coming back from being away with the navy, you knew you were home, i miss Portsmouth.
Totally bad ass the whole trip was amazing but the placement of the flag made the video so much more better yall marked your territory by placement ad not grafitti or vandalism much love and respect brother
I never wanted a lot of money until just now, purchace all three and restore one to live on. Make the other two museums.That would be amazing!
Amazing vid. Thanks.
That was really cool. I would love to own something like that, and rebuild it to live there.
Just a thought; when these incredible forts were manned and in use, how did they get supplied with water? Was it piped in, brought by sea in tankers or were the forts built over fresh water springs? The latter may sound far-fetched, but there are springs of fresh water that come out offshore. Maybe the design incorporated drains that collected rainwater into a tank.
Anybody have any gen on this?
Nick.
Each of the sea forts had a well which extended down into the chalk aquifer deep beneath the bed of The Solent. When Spit Bank Fort was open to the public for Saturday night hog roasts and disco's you could look down the 400 foot shaft which had electric lights at intervals. It would have been impossible to supply the wartime garrison with enough fresh water without the wells!
yo that was epic man! keep them coming!
Awesome 👌
Anyone who buys those has lost their minds. The work and costs required would be more than building a new one. Because it is in UK waters, it is also subject to all of their building codes. It will be almost impossible to meet those codes. Unless they get variances, there is no way. Even as a museum, vast portions of it would have to remain closed to the public.
If i was a millionaire that would be bought and turned into a big home, amazing.
You've reached another level with this one! Awesome site and very well filmed too.
Absolutely fantastic video . So professional.
Went there today I've never seen so many dead birds and bones every where how you slept there is beyond me it's a pretty creepy place
As a regular Solent user I’m torn between the intrigue and the trespassing aspects. I'll quietly wind my neck in and just say I’m pleased to see you were all wearing life jackets.
4.9/5 that background music is too loud, diminishing the voice of narrator.
That was great, thanks.
And now it's back on the market for $87kaud. I wonder why everyone abandons their plans to restore it.
Really enjoyed this guys, thanks. I went on Spitbank when I was in the RN, so really nice to see inside one again. 🙂
Again, another amazing vid
Anyone with money could turn that into a resort, covered eternity pool in the middle, hotel rooms around the outside, solar panels, bars, restaurants, any number of possibilities, thanks for the tour.
pretty steep buying price and a logistical nightmare getting guests there. It would be awesome though.
Love this video
My mates parents once owned this in the 90s. I think they bought it off the queens estate and later sold it to the mod or something like that. There are 5 keys, around 7 inches long. Each one has a number stamped at the top. My mate kept the 5th key.
Insane stuff . Lucky you didn't get caught. Great video
Thank you 👍 It was very lucky indeed
Very well made/put together, top video. 👍🏻
Wow what amazing explorers you are! I lived in Pompey for many years wonderful area. Well done for you exploits brilliant
What a beautiful place to visit
I think it was used in Dr who the sea devils
Fantastic engineering feat
Excellent information shared with a chat that is an offshoot of earthquake forecasting channel. To bandy about multitudes of alternative ideas. They will love this. I have seen pitches to get energy and water from the air. Falls in line with those. Would love to be off grid...
Fascinating site. Well done
thats an amazing place!!! Love how you decorated the table inside, would be a cool photo!
Isle of Wight - "La Isla Bonita" of my youth 😍
This got renovated into some flash Accommodation. There's a short clip of about 2 minutes on You Tube after the renovations were done. Has 2 Helipads, a grass area at the top, Deck Chairs etc. Looks nice.
UNSC INFINITY - No that’s the other one, which is still run as a hotel. Check out their website solentforts.com
cool doc man
I can see this fort from my house always wondered what it looked like inside 🙂
Very nice work chaps!
Thanks very much! I’m a fan of what you guys do too
I want to turn that place into a self sufficient garden community
good luck hauling several tons of soil. would be cool though, assuming you can find enough salt-tolerant plants to give good yield. trees would be liable to damage the structure.
One of those things that sounds really nice, but is super impractical.
Excellent exploration of an amazing piece of history. Hopefully we'll make it out there at some point. Thank you for the education!
hard to hear over the music at 6:45
Brilliant !!
The BG Music could be a little down so I can hear your voice better without too much noise from the music
The original asking price seems not too bad for such a fabulous site. What a totally unique home it would make for someone after a lot of work possibly, BUT when you see what prices some very ordinary homes make it seems not a lot to ask for a totally sturdy and well sited home.
Great vid but more to be seen at some time in future possibly....
What a great adventure lads, wish I lived closer!
Great video thanks for sharing. Being a solent boater we pass these forts often. Didnt hear you mention about the wall that runs out to the forts just under the surface all the way from beach at South Sea. There are only certain points to pass the wall.
Fascinating. Thanks. You do wonder if these things should command such high asking prices or instead be leased, loaned or gifted to someone (English Heritage, etc) who will be able to make a business model work because they don't have the initial purchase cost. Though I guess that's already been suggested and it's the renovation not the £11m price tag that is the real killer.
Visited Spitbank years ago when the GFC did summer tours. Always wanted to buy one as they have spectacular views of the
Solent, maybe if I win the lottery.
you won the lottery yet? Lol
Fascinating video and extremely well made. I've been around this fort but never on it, so thanks for posting 😀👍
Fantastic video guys really enjoyed that one👍
Great voice,thankyou
Great pirate exploring ... wish it was a longer video though. Glad you got the dinghy back and sorted the prop - the joys of seafaring. How long did the S&C stay up? Nice filming👍
Good job lads!
I went on one of those in the 1980s. You could only land directly from the boat. 150 soldiers were based there.
Reminded me of the old Dr Who story "The Sea Devils"
I wonder why?
No Sea Devils I hope
Such a good video as always, I always look forward to your videos as I live on the Isle of Wight and have tried to gain access into some of these buildings but failed on some but glad that you managed to get it to them all so I can still see. Keep up the good work!
Thank you very much & thank you for watching! 😁👍
awesome adventure story
As a military construct, given the time it took to build, and the cost required, when it was finished, it seemed hardly worth the time, money and effort for what it achieved before it was decommissioned, and then abandoned.
During the Great War with Russia, the combined British and French armies attacked the naval base at Sebastopol from the landward side. This made the British painfully aware that their main naval base, at Portsmouth, was equally vulnerable to attack by both land and sea. The Imperial French Navy had just built a new base at Cherbourg and had acquired an ironclad battleship called "La Gloire", To counter the supposed threat from Napoleon III of France, Portsmouth was ringed with forts both on land and at sea. Of course, by the time they were finished France had been defeated by Germany in the Franco-Prussian War but that's another story!
Amazing place, great movie
Thanks for a great video. Echoing others, its shame that you didn't give a good video tour of the place. Was there a reason? I have been passed the forts a few times on power boat training. No Mans' Fort is a good waypoint for our purposes. They are impressive buildings and undoubtedly were expensive to build.
WOW,if If i was rich then once cleaned and fixed my dream home
Very interesting.