The Fort has been many things in its history. It was built in the 1850's as a military garrison, before more recently being used as social housing and as a base for island community groups.

Fort Richmond on Guernsey was built as a gun battery with high granite walls by the British to thwart the French and to defend the Channel Island, when England was worried about a Emperor Napoleon invasion from France but was not put into significant use and thankfully wasn't deployed. 

In the Second World War Winston Churchill took a decision not to defend the Channel Islands from the Germans and as a result the fort became part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall defence. Germans used the fort to defend themselves against the British and ironically in the Second World War was the only time guns were fired.

After the war it was leased to a surf club and then to a Christian youth group for its headquarters before being left empty and neglected. 

According to The Thelegraph, after splashing out £2 million for the coastal fort, the new owner will then have to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds converting the inside into a luxury five bedroom house with 5000sq ft floorspace. The end result should see the unique property that has stunning sea views double in value.

The States-owned property is on the open market and has planning permission to be converted into a four-bedroom home, a wine cellar, utility room and office over the two floors. Local agent Cooper Brouard and international agent Chestertons has been appointed to sell the property. 

[Via 1, 2, 3]