The High Court will review an injunction

An injunction granted to deter urban explorers from unlawfully visiting a historic fort will be reviewed by the High Court.

Last July, the High Court of Justice issued an injunction ‘prohibiting anyone from climbing upon, or otherwise entering, occupying, or remaining upon any part of Spitbank Fort, Solent’ without consent.

Solent forts, No Man’s Fort and Spitbank Fort both sold for over £1m each following an auction with Savills.

placeholder image — Solent forts, No Man’s Fort and Spitbank Fort both sold for over £1m each following an auction with Savills.

The decision to seek a court order was made by the fort’s owner, Katherine Bradbury, who purchased the historic landmark at auction for £1,010,000 in 2024.

She previously told The News that “the only option available to me was to seek a High Court injunction” after people were “putting themselves at risk by crossing the major shipping lane out of Portsmouth”.

As part of the injunction, annual reviews were ordered to take place to ensure the restrictions remain necessary. As a result, a review has been arranged for September 3, where Ms Bradbury will be represented by Steele Raymond LLP.

In 2025, the court heard how the property is currently unoccupied due to water ingress and a “suspected presence of legionella bacteria in the water supply”, and that contractors were “undertaking repairs and remedial works”.

If anyone breaches the injunction by trespassing, they will be in contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined or have their assets seized.

Spitbank Fort is a grade II listed sea fort, completed in 1878, and is one of four similar Napoleonic-era forts, which were owned by the Ministry of Defence until 1982. The fort was converted into a luxury nine-bedroom boutique hotel in 2012, before closing during the pandemic and then going on the market.

While plans for the fort have not been disclosed, the website says: “The fort enters an exciting new phase in its remarkable history. While its next chapter remains to be unveiled, Spitbank Fort continues to stand as one of the Solent's most iconic maritime landmarks, ready to write the next pages in its extraordinary story.

“This Victorian engineering marvel awaits its next transformation, poised between its storied past and an intriguing future yet to be revealed.”