St. Catherine's Island
PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
Around 1907 the fort was bought by the Windsor Richards family who converted it into a house. This included installing parquet flooring in the casemates and lavish decorative features. They also built a 2 bedroom summerhouse at the front of the island. When the house was compulsory purchased in 1940 the internal fittings were auctioned by Harrods and the catalogue still exists.
After WWII the fort was then acquired by a local solicitor who rented the property, and the travel writer Norman Lewis is recorded as staying there in 1947- 1948. The fort was sold to a Tenby businessman in 1962 and in March 1968 the fort was turned into a zoo. the zoo and had two operators before relocating in 1979. The fort has effectively stood empty since this time.
St. Catherine's Island
PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
Around 1907 the fort was bought by the Windsor Richards family who converted it into a house. This included installing parquet flooring in the casemates and lavish decorative features. They also built a 2 bedroom summerhouse at the front of the island. When the house was compulsory purchased in 1940 the internal fittings were auctioned by Harrods and the catalogue still exists.
After WWII the fort was then acquired by a local solicitor who rented the property, and the travel writer Norman Lewis is recorded as staying there in 1947- 1948. The fort was sold to a Tenby businessman in 1962 and in March 1968 the fort was turned into a zoo. the zoo and had two operators before relocating in 1979. The fort has effectively stood empty since this time.