Inside abandoned sea fort that's being turned into a 'off the scale' luxury home

A businessman has completely transformed an abandoned fort which was built to protect against a French invasion into an incredible home.

Mike Conner, owner of one of the biggest tech firms in the UK, Appsbroker, is on a mission to build one of the most impressive homes in Wales after purchasing Thorne Island in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

It took 1,000 men more than two years to build Thorne Island in the mid-1800s to protect against a French invasion, and still, 170 years later its legacy lives on, reports Wales Online.

When the 48-year-old businessman took on Thorne Island, he decided the best course of action was to rip everything out and start again - and his transformation of the Grade-II listed fort is nothing short of incredible.

He said: "I saw it and it was just, 'Bam', I wanted to buy it.

He knew when he saw it he had to buy it (Adrian White)

Even now, it gives him goosebumps and he admits he has watched it "at least 50 times over".

"The trouble is, with something this big, you never really stand back and see what you've achieved, so it's nice to see how far we've come when I watch this back," he adds.

Upon approaching the island by boat, it's clear to see just how exposed it is to the elements as the waves crash into the walls on stormy days.

It gives him goosebumps just looking at it (Adrian White)

Despite its intimidating exterior, the moment you step through the main door with its original 1854 woodwork you're greeted with not only a warm welcome from Mike but the warm air.

The underfloor heating and the heat pumps powered by solar panels on the roof are the source of this.

When taking on the build, the heat and humidity were two major issues that Mike had to overcome.

The heating and the water stuck within the walls were difficult to overcome (Adrian White)

The previous owners had glossed the five-feet deep granite interior walls to make them waterproof but in doing so had trapped years and years of moisture.

When he first arrived, water quite literally poured from the walls.

After fitting one of the bathrooms in the 10-bed dormitory, he came back to see the room flooded with two inches of water.

The interior is warm and welcoming (Adrian White)

The only solution was to off-set the bathroom leaving a one-inch space between the outside wall and the bathroom wall to allow the walls to breathe.

But now, the finish inside the fort is understated yet luxurious.

Everything has been done to the highest quality, the highest standard and his attention to detail is meticulous - which of course comes at a hefty price as he admits: "The cost is just off the scale."

Mike, his wife, three children and dog spent a lot of time in the summer at the island (Adrian White)

The living space, with its vaulted ceilings and airy open-plan kitchen makes the fort feel homely.

The soldiers' garrison has given way to light and airy rooms, wood burning stoves, mezzanine bedrooms with spiral staircases and plush new bathroom facilities with chrome taps and shiny basins.

At the opposite end of the kitchen, which boasts a large American-style fridge is his mezzanine bedroom, created using the old wooden floor from his home in Cirencester and a spiral staircase he found on Ebay.

"It's a constant battle against Mother Nature" (Adrian White)

Pointing to a an old rusting handrail, Mike says: "We put that in less than a year ago," and referring to the elements he adds: "We are against it at all times.

"It's just relentless here, a constant battle against Mother Nature."

Everything rusts almost as soon as it's fitted and the gale force winds will tear into any nook and cranny, quickly destroy anything which hasn't been fitted perfectly.

The most idyllic view, however, has to be from the toilet, thanks to its large window opening out on to crashing waves and the Dale coastline.

He and his wife Natasha, their three teenage children and dog have spent a lot of their summer on Thorne Island, entertaining an array of guests in the custom-built bar on the fort's roof - like when a bunch of Google executives flew in by helicopter a while back

It's a brief glimpse into the world Mike operates in as CEO of his Swindon-based company Appsbroker, a cloud technology provider and a Google Premier Partner.

Although he doesn't know how long the project will take or how he will use the island in the future, for now he is content with carrying on the work, relaxing with the family and hosting plush parties.

"I don't have a timescale to finish, I don't have a budget, I just want to enjoy doing the project," he said.

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