Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/07/23/for-sale-offshore-fortress-an.html
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Can I establish an embassy with Sealand?
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I want to know if the sale includes ammunition. Sinking the neighbors would be a dream come true.
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Shouldn’t be too difficult to modernize that place, say 50 years of hard work.
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Does the cannon work and is it included?
Note - under US law, it wouldn’t even be classified as a firearm - ironically.
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I can’t tell from the listing, does it have electricity/plumbing?
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The cannon is basically decorative. Registering it as a firearm would be pointless. Nobody has ever held up a 7-11 with a 12 pounder cannon.
My big question is: Is the building listed? If it is, you should run away like it is on fire. If not that 70k asking price might be worth entertaining.
That walkway out to the platform is going to be a maintenance headache. One odd feature is what appears to be a boat ramp right next to the fortress, but situated in a way that you have to squeeze between the fortress and the bit of land jutting out next to it to use it.
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The building was the subject of an extensive refurbishment in 1994/1995 and became The Gun Tower Museum operated by The Pembroke Dock Museum Trust until 2017.
Almost certainly has electricity, although it is retrofitted so coverage may be spotty.
Washroom
Window opening with southerly outlook. Sink and water heater.
Has running water.
Basement
The basement housed a water tank which could store 12500 gallons, storage areas and a magazine to store 198, 100lb barrels of gun powder. The basement is accessed via two spiral iron staircase.
Even has a survivalist storage system for extra water! Perfect for your apocalypse needs.
Services
Mains electricity, mains water feed. Macerated foul waste disposal, No substantial drainage waste
Planning
Use is commercial. With regard to change of use, prospective purchasers will need to apply for Planning Permission with Listed Building Consent.
Buying it as a house is going to be an issue though. Hope you like arguing your case at town council meetings.
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Yes, it has both.
It is also Grade II listed, so alterations of any kind would be awkward to say the least.
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Still…this seems like an amazing retirement home for my personal tastes 
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Yeah it says it needs restoration. I’d make a zip line to get back to shore, for an example.
Truthfully, I’d love something like that, stone, historical, sort of self sustaining if set up right.
But i can’t afford my current living situation, much less some fixer-up historical relic.
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Probably one of those places that’s nicer to visit than maintain.
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The price is incredible, assuming by “over 70k” it will sell for close to 70k and not 700k+.
From Wikipedia:
" A small number of Martello towers were also built in Wales, of which few survive. The most notable surviving towers are the two located in Pembroke Dock, which were built between 1848 and 1857 to protect the naval base there. Today, one of the towers is privately owned. The other is located on the town’s riverfront, next to the old entrance of the naval base. It was converted into a small museum that focused on the local history of the dock and its defences. The museum has now shut down because of water influx. Recently Pembrokeshire County Council has decided to put the tower up for sale.[21]"
The reference to “water influx” is worrying.
I am in love, though. Too bad I don’t have the flexibility to move to Wales. Who cares about alterations, as long as there’s a toilet, shower, heat, and power, I’m happy.
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Actually it sounds like the water incursion problem was fixed, but then the city council didn’t want to transfer ownership to the museum trust, probably due to the lack of funds for ongoing maintenance:
That’s pretty sad. I would say, an enterprising individual with flexible living arrangements, could make a deal to live on the lower level and keep the upper level an roof open as a private museum. If they were hardy and open to visitors. Sounds like both a retirement home and part time job all in one!
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Or they patched up the leak only to discover that it’s about to spring new leaks in a hundred other places due to the way it was constructed and its age and they don’t want to have to fix them all.
Add in the myriad building restrictions from the thing being listed and it’s really no surprise they’re trying to dump it off on some sucker ASAP.
relevant:
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It’s currently zoned as commercial property so you can’t live there. At least until you persuade the council for change of use. How’s your golf? Are you a mason?
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Florida Man: oh yeah? Hold my beer…
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That was part of my thought behind keeping the museum open - I bet that would sway a council decision pretty handily.
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And some minor significant alterations to historic preservation laws…
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