Golden Hill Fort

The Island has been shaped by the sea, in both its coastline and through its longstanding relationship with maritime adventure and commerce. We are quite simply the gatehouse for the UK from the world to the south. When Palmerston commissioned his defences and fortifications he never would have dreamed of the diverse complexion that his structures would give to the Island’s land and seascapes nor that his defensible barracks at Golden Hill built between 1862 and 1871 would be credited as one of the UK’s Grade 1 listed landmarks.

A little piece of that Palmerston heritage, in Golden Hill Fort, is being painstakingly converted to give a few lucky folk the opportunity to own a piece of pure history. Local Designer Richard Mazillius of ermc has been working for the last 4 years with the developer to create 18 of the most unique and tranquille spaces for modern living.

The structure is predominantly brick built and boasts wonderful vaulted brick ceilings that form a stunning internal feature within the houses. The fort’s hexagonal form wraps around a large central courtyard accessed through a single tunnelled entranceway. The substantial bomb-proof flat roof was originally designed for artillery defence and observation but has now been used to create stunning roof-top gardens; these creatively conceived external spaces are fastidiously detailed and availing to the most open panorama. Palmerton chose this location to ensure 360’ vision. When you visit the fort now and look out over the needles to the Jurassic coast of Dorset in the west, Hurst Castle, Yarmouth and the New Forest in the north and north east, the coast of France, on a good day, in the south and along the Island’s chalk backbone away to the east you realise that Palmerston chose the right spot!

Developer: Golden Hill Homes Limited Kevin@goldenhillhomes.co.uk – www.goldenhillfort.co.uk

Project Designer: Richard Mazillius – ermc limited Richard.mazillius@ermc-ltd.co.uk

Landscape Architect: David Whitehurst - coco.design@virgin.net

Sales Agents: Marvins, Newport Office  www.marvins.co.uk

Historic interest: The Palmerston Forts Society www.palmerstonforts.org.uk