In 2017, British tech entrepreneur Mike Conner bought Thorne Island, a ruined 19th-century fort off the coast of Pembrokeshire in Wales, for about £500,000 after seeing a video about the property online. At the time, the island had no electricity or running water and the fort had been left in a derelict condition after earlier attempts to revive it as a hotel failed. Conner, the former chief executive of software company Appsbroker, subsequently embarked on an extensive restoration of the Victorian fort, investing around £2 million in the project. The result is a property with more than 8,000 square feet of accommodation, five bedrooms and enough space to sleep up to 20 guests. The restored island has solar panels, battery storage, heat pumps and other infrastructure that allows it to operate independently of mainland utilities. In August 2025, Conner put Thorne Island on the market for £3 million through Strutt & Parker. This remarkable transformation demonstrates how visionary determination and substantial investment can successfully revive historic architecture, creating a truly unique blend of heritage preservation and modern sustainable living.
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