Places to see

Martello towers in England, Scotland, Ireland and Canada

What the people who look after or describe each place say.

England

Dymchurch Martello Tower (tower 24), Kent

Dymchurch Martello Tower is tower no. 24. Historic England: Martello tower no 24 at Dymchurch (list entry 1014626) It is one of only 26 of the original 74 south coast towers still standing, and the only one shown as it first looked. English Heritage: History of Dymchurch Martello Tower

Tower 24 guarded the Marshland Sluice, one of the main outfalls that control the water level in Romney Marsh. English Heritage: History of Dymchurch Martello Tower If the enemy took the sluice, the defenders could not flood Romney Marsh to stop the French army crossing it. English Heritage: History of Dymchurch Martello Tower

Tower 25 stands only 260 metres (285 yards) away, on the other side of the outfall. English Heritage: History of Dymchurch Martello Tower Tower 24 is one of six towers at or near Dymchurch, of which three survive. English Heritage: History of Dymchurch Martello Tower

Tower 24 stands about 12 metres behind Dymchurch Wall, the bank about 4.8 km long that keeps the sea off the marsh. Historic England: Martello tower no 24 at Dymchurch (list entry 1014626)

At Dymchurch the brick is covered in render, grooved to look like blocks of Portland stone. Historic England: Martello tower no 24 at Dymchurch (list entry 1014626)

The gun now at Dymchurch is a real 24-pounder cast between 1792 and 1815, but not the one mounted there in the Napoleonic War. English Heritage: History of Dymchurch Martello Tower

After restoration by the Ministry of Works, tower 24 opened as a museum in 1969. English Heritage: History of Dymchurch Martello Tower It is cared for by English Heritage and managed by the Friends of Martello24. English Heritage: History of Dymchurch Martello Tower

The Wish Tower, Eastbourne

Eastbourne’s Wish Tower was the last but one numbered tower to be built. Wish Tower Friends: 1794 to 1808, design inspiration and construction Nobody knows exactly when the Wish Tower was built; the best estimate is between 1806 and 1808. Wish Tower Friends: 1794 to 1808, design inspiration and construction

So many landings were feared at Eastbourne that 17 towers were built from Pevensey Bay to Eastbourne. Wish Tower Friends: 1794 to 1808, design inspiration and construction

Tower 74, Seaford

Tower 74 at Seaford is a museum run by the Seaford Museum and Heritage Society. Historic England, Heritage Calling blog: A Brief Introduction to Martello Towers

Tower D, Jaywick, Essex

At Tower D at Jaywick in Essex there is an exhibition, a replica cannon and views from the roof. Historic England, Heritage Calling blog: A Brief Introduction to Martello Towers

Tower W, Bawdsey, Suffolk

Tower W at Bawdsey in Suffolk shows the quatrefoil gun platform clearly from the air. English Heritage: History of Dymchurch Martello Tower

Tower CC, Slaughden, Aldeburgh

Tower CC at Slaughden is the only quatrefoil (four-leafed) tower in plan. Historic England, Heritage Calling blog: A Brief Introduction to Martello Towers Historic England says the Aldeburgh tower is the most northerly and the largest built during the Napoleonic War. Historic England: Martello Tower, Aldeburgh (list entry 1269724)

It stands at the root of the Orford Ness peninsula, between the River Alde and the sea. The Landmark Trust: Martello Tower, Aldeburgh

Historic England dates the Aldeburgh tower to 1808 to 1810. Historic England: Martello Tower, Aldeburgh (list entry 1269724) The Landmark Trust says it was built between 1808 and 1812. The Landmark Trust: Martello Tower, Aldeburgh

The Landmark Trust says nearly a million bricks were used to build it. The Landmark Trust: Martello Tower, Aldeburgh It was designed for four guns, but in 1815 only two 24-pounders were noted there. The Landmark Trust: Martello Tower, Aldeburgh

Why it is quatrefoil was not recorded; one idea is that it was an unbuilt 1804 design for Dymchurch Wall. The Landmark Trust: Martello Tower, Aldeburgh

It was sold in 1932 and turned into a house, taken over in 1940 as a military watch tower, and restored in 1973. Historic England: Martello Tower, Aldeburgh (list entry 1269724) In 1971 the Landmark Trust took it on, repaired it and turned it into holiday accommodation. The Landmark Trust: Martello Tower, Aldeburgh

The sea has worn away the eastern part of its moat. Historic England: Martello Tower, Aldeburgh (list entry 1269724)

Scotland

Hackness Battery and Martello Tower, Orkney

Hackness Battery and Martello Tower in Orkney were built in 1813 to 1814, at the height of the Napoleonic Wars. Historic Environment Scotland: Hackness Battery and Martello Tower, history and stories Hackness has a sister tower, Crockness, on the north side of Longhope Sound. Historic Environment Scotland: Hackness Battery and Martello Tower, history and stories

Hackness had a barracks for 14 men and a cubicle for the NCO on the first floor. Historic Environment Scotland: Hackness Battery and Martello Tower, history and stories

Its first gun was a 24-pounder, replaced in 1866 by a 68-pounder. Historic Environment Scotland: Hackness Battery and Martello Tower, history and stories The gun on display now is an Armstrong 64-pounder of a similar age. Historic Environment Scotland: Hackness Battery and Martello Tower, history and stories

The only record of the guns ever being fired is in 1892, at a day of gun drill and target practice. Historic Environment Scotland: Hackness Battery and Martello Tower, history and stories By 1883 just two artillerymen were on duty. Historic Environment Scotland: Hackness Battery and Martello Tower, history and stories

Historic Environment Scotland says the mighty military remains at Hackness never saw action. Historic Environment Scotland: Hackness Battery and Martello Tower

Ireland

Sandycove: the James Joyce Tower, Dublin

The order to build Martello Tower No. 11 at Sandycove was made in June 1804. James Joyce Tower: The Martello Tower The Sandycove tower is the setting for the opening of James Joyce’s Ulysses, and now a museum to Joyce. James Joyce Tower: The Martello Tower

The architect Michael Scott bought the tower in 1954 to make it a Joyce museum. James Joyce Tower: The Martello Tower On 16 June 1962 the tower was opened as a museum by Sylvia Beach, who published Ulysses. James Joyce Tower: The Martello Tower

Canada

Prince of Wales Tower, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Parks Canada calls the Prince of Wales Tower, part of the Halifax Defence Complex in Nova Scotia, the first and oldest Martello tower in North America. Parks Canada: Activities and experiences, Prince of Wales Tower National Historic Site Parks Canada dates its building to 1796 to 1799, on the orders of Edward, Duke of Kent. Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations: Prince of Wales Tower

It is a squat, round stone tower, almost three times as wide as it is high. Parks Canada: History, Prince of Wales Tower National Historic Site Its walls are 8 feet thick. Parks Canada: Activities and experiences, Prince of Wales Tower National Historic Site

It was built for six guns on the roof and four on the second storey. Parks Canada: History, Prince of Wales Tower National Historic Site

In 1864 it became a defended gunpowder store, which is why it survived. Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations: Prince of Wales Tower

Carleton Martello Tower, Saint John, New Brunswick

Carleton Martello Tower in Saint John, New Brunswick, was begun by the British Army in the War of 1812 and finished in 1815. Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations: Carleton Martello Tower

In the First World War, Carleton held deserters from the 69th Canadian Infantry Battalion. Parks Canada: The 20th Century, Carleton Martello Tower In the Second World War a two-storey concrete command post was built on its top, used from 1941 to 1944. Parks Canada: The 20th Century, Carleton Martello Tower

Parks Canada found in 2015 that the heavy wartime command post and the coastal weather had badly damaged the tower; it is being restored. Parks Canada: Restoration project, Carleton Martello Tower

Kingston, Ontario

The Kingston Fortifications in Ontario include Fort Henry, Fort Frederick, Murney Tower, Shoal Tower and Cathcart Martello Tower, built between 1832 and 1848. Parks Canada: Kingston Fortifications National Historic Site

Murney Tower is a squat stone tower on the west shore of Kingston Harbour, with its ditch and glacis. Parks Canada: Murney Tower National Historic Site

The Rideau Canal, 202 km from Ottawa to Kingston Harbour, joined the World Heritage List in 2007 with an ensemble of fortifications. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Rideau Canal

Some of these places are dated differently by different sources. More on when sources disagree.

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