Alderney Roman fort 'could house exhibits'

A Roman fort in Alderney could be used for exhibits or holiday accommodation, a conservation society has said.

Trevor Davenport, chairman of the Alderney Society, said the States of Alderney would seek to regain control of the property when its lease expires.

The fort, known as the Nunnery, has been in use for about 1,700 years and has evidence of Roman, Napoleonic, Victorian and German occupation.

Mr Davenport said the buildings could be used for exhibits on those eras.

He said: "We would like... some trust to take it over."

He added: "It could be let out, could be used as holiday [accommodation], could be used as some form of centre."

Mr Davenport said any profit made from the site could be used to contribute to its restoration.

Parts of the Nunnery were excavated in 2011, revealing it to be a former Roman fort.

In its past, the fort was altered to suit its occupants' needs, with the German occupying forces adding a sizeable concrete bunker to it in the 1940s.

Mr Davenport said the origins of the name "the Nunnery" were hazy, as only one historic map had stated that the site used to be a convent.

Otherwise, he speculated, there was a small chance the site could have been a brothel, with "Nunnery" intended as a sarcastic nickname.

The current occupants of the site have not expressed an interest in staying on when their lease expires in about two years.