No Man's Land Fort is an island with a lonely past that may now have a bright future, thanks to one company that wants to turn the abandoned fort into a luxury hotel.
The man-made island was first built in 1867 in the Solent Strait as a way to protect the British against invasion from the French, the Australian news site news.com.au reported.
But the fort, located between England and the Isle of Wright, was eventually abandoned when the British realized no such attack would occur.
So No Man's Land Fort stood without a purpose for the next few decades, forming a reputation that befits its name. It was decommissioned in 1957.
Now, the hospitality company Clarenco wants to start a new, and hopefully lucrative, chapter in the islands life. Clarenco is looking to hire a "Fort Ruler," whose job will be plan the hotel's events among other tasks, news.com.au reported.
Duties include traveling to and from the fort, located a mile out to sea, by speedboat or helicopter. The "Fort Ruler" will also have to monitor the fort's lighthouse, clear the helicopter pad of seagulls and try the hotel's new wines. All applicants must have sailing and fishing experience, the news site reported.
This is not the fort's first venture into the hotel industry. It was turned into a luxury hotel sometime after the '60s, with 21 bedrooms, a pool, two helipads and a restaurant.
But no one wanted to stay on No Man's Land, which resembles a murky, circular container floating on water. Developer Harmesh Pooni purchased the island in 2004. He intended to lease the island for special events, but his plans went south when contaminated pool water caused an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, news.com.au reported.
Full of despair, Pooni confined himself inside the fort. He remained on No Man's Land until he was evicted in 2009.
