Historic island fortress made famous by explorer Sir Francis Drake goes on sale
The historic six-acre island castle where legendary explorer Sir Francis Drake embarked on his world tour is up for sale.
The 6.5-acre 16th-century island, 600 meters off the coast of Plymouth, Devon and made famous by the Elizabethan explorer, is back on the market.
Plymouth businessman Morgan Phillips bought the fortified island for £6 million in 2019 and planned to build a 43-bed hotel, museum and a wellness center on the site.
But after a series of unsuccessful sales in 2024, Drake’s Island is back on the market with estate agent Carter Jonas as Mr Phillips looks for a buyer who will ‘take the business forward’.
He said: ‘We have continued the process of finding ways to move the Island towards full development. We work with various groups to achieve this.
‘We’ve tried the sales approach before, which generated a lot of interest, but we didn’t manage to lock anyone in.
‘We thought we’d try this approach again to see if we could identify someone who was interested in buying the island but also could take this forward, partner with us or fund us.’
Although no construction is taking place on the island, Mr Phillips opened part of it for guided tours and confirmed this had been suspended ahead of safety inspections.
Drake’s Island, a 16th-century fortified island off the coast of Plymouth, is back on the market after being purchased for £6 million in 2019.
The island was purchased by Plymouth businessman Morgan Phillips, who plans to build a 43-bed home, museum and wellness center on the land.
Mr Phillips has opened up parts of the island for guided tours, said to contain mysterious underground tunnels
Drake Island even has its own folklore. It is said that there are mysterious underground tunnels that have not yet been found.
After purchasing the island seven years ago, Mr Phillips said he was aware of its rich history.
‘I am under no illusions that the people of Plymouth see Drake Island as the jewel in the city’s crown and want to enjoy it as soon as possible.
‘We actually want the island to be open to the public as often as possible.’
Formerly known as St Nicholas Island, its strategic location on the south-west coast led to its fortifications.
Sir Francis Drake began his second circumnavigation of the world from the island in 1577 and returned three years later. Drake was later made governor of the Island by Elizabeth I.
During the English Civil War, the island was used to defend Plymouth from siege by the army, and in 1660, during World War II. Charles used it as a prison.
It was used by the military until the 1900s, and became an adventure center in the 1960s. Young JFK Jr. even learned to sail in Plymouth Sound.
A significant part of the island is considered ancient monuments, and four buildings date back to World War II. Rank is included in the list. Besides the city walls, the island is also a heritage site.
