Fortress sols for £285,000

A FORTRESS built as a coastal defence during the Napoleonic War has fetched £285,000 at auction.

Martello Tower No 55, at Normans Bay, is an unconverted shell of a building, but planning permission has already been granted for a conversion, leading to the cannon ball-proof property being in great demand.

The guide price had the property down at 150,000, but an eager bidding battle at auction last Wednesday, saw it sell for much more than anticipated.

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The tower was built in the early 19th Century and was one of a series of fortresses used to guard against a French invasion.

In the 1940s the building was used to house Canadian troops prior to the Normandy landings.

The former owner, Richard Owen of Eastbourne, had planned to convert the tower into a three bedroom residential home, but had to abandon the idea due to time constraints.

James Collins, negotiator with Bexhill agents, Rush Witt and Wilson, was not surprised the tower sold for such a high amount.

He said: "It really was very popular. I must have shown over a hundred people over it in a period of just three or four weeks."

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