Martello Towers

Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards. They stand up to 40 feet (12m) high, with two floors, and typically had a garrison of one officer and 15-25 men. Their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform for a single heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and able to traverse a 360 degree arc. A few towers had moats for extra defence. The Martello towers were used during the first half of the 19th century, but became obsolete with the introduction of powerful rifled artillery. Many have survived to the present day, often preserved as historic monuments.


Martello Towers Inspiration

Martello towers were inspired by a round fortress, part of a larger Genovese defence system, at Mortella (Myrtle) Point in Corsica. The designer was Giovan Giacomo Paleari Fratino (el Fratin), and the tower was completed in 1565. -Since the 15th century, the Corsicans had built similar towers at strategic points around the island to protect coastal villages and shipping from North African pirates. The towers stood one or two storeys high and measured 12-15 m in diameter, with a single doorway 5 m off the ground that one could access only via a ladder which the occupants could remove. Local villagers paid for the towers and watchmen, known as torregiani, who would signal the approach of unexpected ships by lighting a beacon fire on the tower's roof. The fire would alert the local defence forces to the threat. Although the pirate threat subsequently dwindled, the Genovese built a newer generation of circular towers that warded off later foreign invasions.

Martello Towers history at bottom of the page
Stacks Image 1186
Kentpoi

Martello Towers - Kent

Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards

Martello Towers

Martello towers stand up to 40 feet (12m) high, with two floors, and typically had a garrison of one officer and 15-25 men.

Their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform for a single heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and able to traverse a 360 degree arc.

Martello Towers

Since the 15th century, the Corsicans had built similar towers at strategic points around the island to protect coastal villages and shipping from North African pirates. The towers stood one or two storeys high and measured 12-15 m in diameter, with a single doorway 5 m off the ground that one could access only via a ladder which the occupants could remove.

Martello Tower 1
Tower 1

Tower 1 stands 200 feet up on the cliffs above East Wear Bay, Folkestone.

Longitude: 1.198859 - Latitude: 51.09138

GridRef: TR 2410 3732

Monument Number 465762

Martello Tower 2
Tower 2

Tower 2 is about 50 feet lower than No.1, and sited on a small knoll slightly further inland.

Longitude: 1.196939 - Latitude: 51.08839

GridRef: TR 23980 36981

Monument Number 465765

Martello Tower 3
Tower 3

Tower 3 stands on the cliffs above Copt Point, Folkestone and overlooks the harbour below.

Longitude: 1.197861 - Latitude: 51.08521

GridRef: TR 2406 3663

Monument Number 465768

Kentpoi

Martello Towers

On 7 February 1794, two British warships, HMS Fortitude (74 guns) and HMS Juno (32 guns), unsuccessfully attacked the tower at Mortella Point. The tower eventually fell to land forces, under Sir John Moore, after two days of heavy fighting. What helped the British was that the tower's two eighteen pounders fired sea-ward, while only the one six pounder could fire land-ward.

Martello Towers

A few towers had moats for extra defence. The Martello towers were used during the first half of the 19th century, but became obsolete with the introduction of powerful rifled artillery. Many have survived to the present day, often preserved as historic monuments.

Martello Tower 4
Tower 4

Tower 4, along with its neighbours up to No.9, were all built into deep dry moats, and were situated within the Shorncliffe Camp area.

Longitude: 1.155175 - Latitude: 51.07494

GridRef: TR 2112 3536

Monument Number 465771

Martello Tower 5
Tower 5

Tower 5, along with its neighbours up to No.9, were all built into deep dry moats, and were situated within the Shorncliffe Camp area.

Longitude:1.150297 - Latitude: 51.07669 - GridRef: TR 2077 3554

Monument Number 465774.

Martello Tower 6
Tower 6

Tower 6, along with its neighbours up to No.9, were all built into deep dry moats, and were situated within the Shorncliffe Camp area.

Longitude: 1.142354 - Latitude: 51.07538 - GridRef: TR 2022 3537

Monument Number 465777.

Kentpoi

Martello Towers - Kent

The interior of a classic British Martello tower consisted of three storeys, sometimes with an additional basement. The ground floor served as the magazine and storerooms, where ammunition, stores and provisions were kept. The garrison of 24 men and one officer lived in a casemate on the first floor, which was divided into several rooms and had fireplaces built into the walls for cooking and heating. The officer and men lived in separate rooms of almost equal size.

Martello Towers

The roof or terreplein was surmounted with one or two cannon on a central pivot that enabled the guns to rotate up to 360 degrees. A well or cistern within the fort supplied the garrison with water. An internal drainage system linked to the roof enabled rainwater to refill the cistern.

Martello Tower 7
Tower 7

Timeline Tower 7

Longitude: 1.137181 - Latitude: 51.07489

GridRef: TR 1986 3530

Monument Number 463854

Martello Tower 8
Tower 8

Tower No 8

Longitude: 1.130725 - Latitude: 51.07443

GridRef: TR 1941 3523

Monument Number 463857

Martello Tower 9
Tower 9

Timeline Tower 9

Longitude: 1.125118 - Latitude: 51.07386 - GridRef: TR 1902 3515

Scheduled Monument

Kentpoi

Martello Towers - Kent

During the first half of the 19th century, the British government embarked on a large-scale programme of building Martello towers to guard the British and Irish coastlines. Around 140 were built, mostly along the south coast of England.

Martello Towers

The French built similar towers along their own coastline that they used as platforms for communication by optical telegraphs. The United States government also built a number of Martello towers along the east coast of the US that copied the British design with some modifications.

Martello Tower 10
Tower 10

Timeline Tower 10

Longitude: 1.095878 - Latitude: 51.06789

GridRef: TR 170 344 Monument Number 463976

Martello Tower 11
Tower 11

Timeline Tower 11

Longitude: 1.088502 - Latitude: 51.06647 - GridRef: TR 1649 3422

Demolished

Martello Tower 12
Tower 12

Timelne Tower 12

Longitude: 1.08504 - Latitude: 51.06593 - GridRef: TR 1625 3415

Monument Number 463963

Kentpoi

Martello Towers - Kent

Between 1804 and 1812 the British authorities built a chain of towers based on the original Mortella tower to defend the south and east coast of England, Ireland, Jersey and Guernsey to guard against possible invasion from France, then under the rule of the Emperor Napoleon.

The effectiveness of Britain's Martello towers was never actually tested in combat against a Napoleonic invasion fleet. They were, however, effective in hindering smuggling

After the threat had passed, the Martello towers in England met a variety of fates. The Coastguard took over many to aid in the fight against smuggling. Fifteen were demolished to enable the re-use of their masonry.

Martello Towers

The sea washed thirty away and the military destroyed four in experiments to test the effectiveness of the new rifled artillery. During the Second World War, some Martello towers returned to military service as observation platforms and firing platforms for anti-aircraft artillery.

Martello Tower 13
Tower 13

Timeline Tower 13

Longitude: 1.079536 - Latitude: 51.06473

GridRef: TR 1587 3400

Monument Number 463948

Martello Tower 14
Tower 14

Timeline Tower 14

Longitude: 1.074162 - Latitude: 51.06334

GridRef: TR 1550 3383

Monument Number 463954

Martello Tower 15
Tower 15

Timeline Tower 15

Longitude: 1.069946 - Latitude: 51.06219

GridRef: TR 1521 3369

Monument Number 463960

Kentpoi

Martello Towers

Forty-seven towers survived in England, a few of which have been restored and transformed into museums, visitor centres, and galleries, some are privately owned or used as private residences; the remainder are derelict.

Martello Towers

A survey of the East Coast towers, in 2007, found that the remaining 17 were in a reasonable condition.

image
Tower 16

Timeline Tower 16

Longitude: 1.064846 - Latitude: 51.06062

GridRef: TR 1486 3350

Monument Number 464018

image
Tower 17

Timeline Tower 17

Longitude: 1.05603 - Latitude: 51.05896

GridRef: TR 1425 3329

Monument Number 464021

image
Tower 18

Timeline Tower 18

Longitude: 1.055051 - Latitude: 51.0571

GridRef: TR 1419 3308

Monument Number 464024

Kentpoi

Martello Towers

The gunpowder was stored on the ground floor in a specially designed area with ventilation ducts, to keep the gunpowder dry, and double skinned walls. The risk of fire and/or explosion was minimised by protecting the necessary lantern with a glass plate.

Martello Towers

A round brick pillar rose through the center of the tower to support the roof, on which a cannon on a rotating gun carriage could fire in all directions.

image
Tower 19

Timeline Tower 19

Longitude: 1.050819 - Latitude: 51.05568

GridRef: TR 1390 3291

Monument Number 464027

image
Tower 20

Timeline Tower 20

Longitude: 1.046409 - Latitude: 51.05373

GridRef: TR 1360 3268

Monument Number 464030

image
Tower 21

Timeline Tower 21

Longitude: 1.041708 - Latitude: 51.05169

GridRef: TR 1328 3244

Monument Number 464033

Kentpoi

Martello Tower Number 24

The tower has been restored to its original design and layout with almost all of the original tower still in place. Martello Tower No.24 is only one of 3 of the 74 built that is open to the public.

The tower contains almost all of the features of the original design including brickwork, front and parapet doors, window openings, fireplaces, ventilation shafts, the original 24 pounder muzzle-loading cannon on the gun platform, parapet shot lockers, hauling rings, replica gunpowder barrels, and replica 'Brown Bess' muskets.

Martello Towers

Martello tower walls were thicker on the side facing the sea because that was where most enemy fire was expected to come from. The roundness and thickness of the walls were designed to deflect cannonballs, which tests proved they could not penetrate.

image
Tower 22

Timeline Tower 22

Longitude: 1.015459 - Latitude: 51.03645

GridRef: TR 1151 3067

Monument Number 464012

image
Tower 23

Timeline Tower 23

Longitude: 1.011634 - Latitude: 51.03466

GridRef: TR 1125 3046

Monument Number 464015

image
Tower 24

Timeline Tower 24

Longitude: 0.9954089 - Latitude: 51.02419

GridRef: TR 1016 2925

Monument Number 463770

Kentpoi

Martello Towers

During the Second World War, they were used to spot incoming aircraft and the V1 & V2 flying bombs.

Martello Towers

The towers are made of about half a million bricks, and although the tower looks round, they are fact slightly elliptical, which helped to deflect incoming cannon fire.

image
Tower 25

Timeline Tower 25

Longitude: 0.9931458 - Latitude: 51.02227

GridRef: TR 1001 2903

Monument Number 463767

Martello Tower 26 Destroyed
Tower 26

Timeline Tower No 26

Longitude: 0.9836911 - Latitude: 51.01496

GridRef: TR 0938 2819

Monument Number 462703

Martello Tower 27 Destroyed
Tower 27

Timeline Tower 27

Longitude: 0.9826352 - Latitude: 51.01184

GridRef: TR 0932 2784

Monument Number 462705

Kentpoi

The Redoubts - Sandgate Castle

Two redoubts were constructed into the south coast Martello chain to act as supply depots for the local Martellos

Shorncliffe and Eastbourne Redoudts

Two redoubts were constructed into the south coast Martello chain to act as supply depots for the local Martellos, and were originally described as 'eleven-gun towers'.

image
Dymchurch Redoubt

Two redoubts were constructed into the south coast Martello chain to act as supply depots for the local Martellos, and were originally described as 'eleven-gun towers'. It was originally proposed to build a four-gun tower at Dymchurch.

image
Eastbourne Redoubt

Eastbourne Redoubt is a circular coastal defence fort at Eastbourne.

GridRef: TR 1550 3383

Monument Number 463954

image
Shorncliffe Redoubt

Shorncliffe Redoubt is a British Napoleonic earthwork fort. The site is approximately 300 feet by 300 feet and is situated on the Kentish Coast in Sandgate, Kent.

Kentpoi

Sandgate Castle

Sandgate Casle was converted into a sort of Martello Tower, and meant that a tower did not need to be built on this lower stretch of the coast, the local towers all being high up on the cliffs slightly inland.

Sandgate Castle - Demolition of No.10

Dover Express - Friday 3rd October 1873. Demolition of No. 10

Stacks Image 2603
Sandgate Castle

Sandgate Castle was built in 1539 by Henry VIII to defend the lower shore of Sandgate, this was converted into a sort of Martello Tower, and meant that a tower did not need to be built on this lower stretch of the coast, the local towers all being high up on the cliffs slightly inland.

image
Demolition of No.10 Tower

Dover Express - Friday 3rd October 1873. Demolition of No. 10

The Royal Engineers' Experimental Committee attended at Hythe on Monday, and proceeded to carry out their operations against No. 10 Martello Tower...

Martello Towers History

Martello Towers History
Martello towers were inspired by a round fortress, part of a larger Genovese defence system, at Mortella (Myrtle) Point in Corsica. The designer was Giovan Giacomo Paleari Fratino (el Fratin), and the tower was completed in 1565.

Since the 15th century, the Corsicans had built similar towers at strategic points around the island to protect coastal villages and shipping from North African pirates. The towers stood one or two storeys high and measured 12-15 m in diameter, with a single doorway 5 m off the ground that one could access only via a ladder which the occupants could remove. Local villagers paid for the towers and watchmen, known as torregiani, who would signal the approach of unexpected ships by lighting a beacon fire on the tower's roof. The fire would alert the local defence forces to the threat. Although the pirate threat subsequently dwindled, the Genovese built a newer generation of circular towers that warded off later foreign invasions.

On 7 February 1794, two British warships, HMS Fortitude (74 guns) and HMS Juno (32 guns), unsuccessfully attacked the tower at Mortella Point. The tower eventually fell to land forces, under Sir John Moore, after two days of heavy fighting. What helped the British was that the tower's two eighteen pounders fired sea-ward, while only the one six pounder could fire land-ward.
Vice-Admiral Lord Hood reported:

"The Fortitude and Juno were ordered against it, without making the least impression by a continued cannonade of two hours and a half; and the former ship being very much damaged by red-hot shot, both hauled off. The walls of the Tower were of a prodigious thickness, and the parapet, where there were two eighteen-pounders, was lined with bass junk, five feet from the walls, and filled up with sand; and although it was cannonaded from the Height for two days, within 150 yards, and appeared in a very shattered state, the enemy still held out; but a few hot shot setting fire to the bass, made them call for quarter. The number of men in the Tower were 33; only two were wounded, and those mortally.

Late in the previous year, the tower's French defenders had abandoned it after HMS Lowestoffe (32 guns) had fired two broadsides at it. Then the French were easily able to dislodge the garrison of Corsican patriots that had replaced them. Still, the British were impressed by the effectiveness of the tower when properly supplied and defended, and copied the design. However, they got the name wrong, misspelling 'Mortella' as 'Martello'. When the British withdrew from Corsica in 1803, with great difficulty they blew up the tower, leaving it in an unusable state.

The interior of a classic British Martello tower consisted of three storeys, sometimes with an additional basement. The ground floor served as the magazine and storerooms, where ammunition, stores and provisions were kept. The garrison of 24 men and one officer lived in a casemate on the first floor, which was divided into several rooms and had fireplaces built into the walls for cooking and heating. The officer and men lived in separate rooms of almost equal size. The roof or terreplein was surmounted with one or two cannon on a central pivot that enabled the guns to rotate up to 360 degrees. A well or cistern within the fort supplied the garrison with water. An internal drainage system linked to the roof enabled rainwater to refill the cistern. During the first half of the 19th century, the British government embarked on a large-scale programme of building Martello towers to guard the British and Irish coastlines. Around 140 were built, mostly along the south coast of England. Governments in Australia, Canada, Minorca, South Africa and Sri Lanka also constructed towers. The construction of Martello towers abroad continued until as late as the 1870s but was discontinued after it became clear that they could not withstand the new generation of rifled artillery weapons.

The French built similar towers along their own coastline that they used as platforms for communication by optical telegraphs. The United States government also built a number of Martello towers along the east coast of the US that copied the British design with some modifications.

Great Britain and Ireland were united as a single political entity, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1801 to 1922, spanning the time during which the Martello towers were erected (the initial scheme started under the previous entities of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland). Consequently the Martello towers of Great Britain and Ireland can be considered to have been part of a single defensive system, designed to protect the coastlines of the two main islands of the British Isles as a whole. This is most clearly visible on the south and east coasts of England, and the east coast of Ireland, where chains of Martello towers were built. Elsewhere in the world, individual Martello towers were erected to provide point defence of strategic locations.

Between 1804 and 1812 the British authorities built a chain of towers based on the original Mortella tower to defend the south and east coast of England, Ireland, Jersey and Guernsey to guard against possible invasion from France, then under the rule of the Emperor Napoleon. A total of 103 towers were built in England, set at regular intervals along the coast from Seaford, Sussex, to Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Most were constructed under the direction of General William Twiss (1745-1827) and a Captain Ford. Included in the scheme were three much larger circular forts or redoubts that were constructed at Harwich, Dymchurch and Eastbourne; they acted as supply depots for the smaller towers as well as being powerful fortifications in their own right.

The effectiveness of Britain's Martello towers was never actually tested in combat against a Napoleonic invasion fleet. They were, however, effective in hindering smuggling. After the threat had passed, the Martello towers in England met a variety of fates. The Coastguard took over many to aid in the fight against smuggling. Fifteen were demolished to enable the re-use of their masonry. The sea washed thirty away and the military destroyed four in experiments to test the effectiveness of the new rifled artillery. During the Second World War, some Martello towers returned to military service as observation platforms and firing platforms for anti-aircraft artillery.

Forty-seven towers survived in England, a few of which have been restored and transformed into museums, visitor centres, and galleries, some are privately owned or used as private residences; the remainder are derelict. A survey of the East Coast towers, in 2007, found that the remaining 17 were in a reasonable condition.

Kentpoi