Martello tower – Wikipedia

Small defensive fort

Martello towers, generally recognized merely as Martellos, are small defensive forts that had been constructed throughout the British Empire through the nineteenth century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most had been coastal forts.

They stand as much as 40 toes (12 m) excessive (with two flooring) and sometimes had a garrison of 1 officer and 15–25 males. Their spherical construction and thick partitions of stable masonry made them immune to cannon fireplace, whereas their top made them a perfect platform for a single heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and capable of traverse, and therefore fireplace, over an entire 360° circle. A number of towers had moats or different batteries and works hooked up for additional defence.

The Martello towers had been used through the first half of the nineteenth century, however grew to become out of date with the introduction of highly effective rifled artillery. Many have survived to the current day, typically preserved as historic monuments.

Origins[edit]

Martello towers had been impressed by a spherical fortress, half of a bigger Genoese defence system, at Mortella (Myrtle) Level in Corsica. The designer was Giovan Giacomo Paleari Fratino (el Fratin),^[1] and the tower was accomplished in 1565.

Because the fifteenth century, the Corsicans had constructed comparable towers at strategic factors across the island to guard coastal villages and transport from North African pirates. The towers stood one or two storeys excessive and measured 12–15 m (39–49 ft) in diameter, with a single doorway 5 metres off the bottom that one might entry solely by way of a ladder that the occupants might take away.^[2]

Native villagers paid for the towers and watchmen, referred to as torregiani, who would sign the strategy of sudden ships by lighting a beacon fireplace on the tower’s roof. The fireplace would alert the native defence forces to the menace. Though the pirate menace subsequently dwindled, the Genoese constructed a more moderen era of round towers (the Genoese towers), that warded off later international raids.^[2]

On 7 February 1794 as a part of the siege of Saint-Florent, two British warships, HMS Fortitude (74 weapons) and Juno (32 weapons), unsuccessfully attacked the tower at Mortella Level; the tower finally fell to land-based forces below Sir John Moore after two days of heavy combating. What helped the British was that the tower’s two 18-pounder weapons fired seaward, whereas solely the one 6-pounder might fireplace landward.

Vice-Admiral Lord Hood reported:

The Fortitude and Juno had been ordered towards it, with out making the least impression by a continued cannonade of two hours and a half; and the previous ship being very a lot broken by red-hot shot, each hauled off. The partitions of the Tower had been of a prodigious thickness, and the parapet, the place there have been two eighteen-pounders, was lined with bass junk,^{[Note 1]} 5 toes from the partitions, and stuffed up with sand; and though it was cannonaded from the Top for 2 days, inside 150 yards, and appeared in a really shattered state, the enemy nonetheless held out; however a couple of scorching shot setting fireplace to the bass, made them name for quarter. The variety of males within the Tower had been 33; solely two had been wounded, and people mortally.^[4]

Late within the earlier yr, the tower’s French defenders had deserted it after HMS Lowestoffe (32 weapons) had fired two broadsides at it. The British eliminated the weapons to arm a small vessel; consequently, the French had been simply capable of dislodge the garrison of Corsican patriots that had changed them.^[5] Nonetheless, the British had been impressed by the effectiveness of the tower when correctly equipped and defended, and copied the design. However they acquired the title incorrect, misspelling “Mortella” as “Martello” (which suggests “hammer” in Italian). When the British withdrew from Corsica in 1803, with nice issue they blew up the tower, leaving it in an unusable state.^[5]

Design and development[edit]

The towers had been about 40 toes (12 m) excessive with partitions about 8 toes (2.4 m) thick. In some towers the rooms weren’t constructed within the centre, however extra to the landside, leaving the partitions thicker on seaside. These had been instances the place an assault with a cannon from the landside was thought not possible. Entry was by ladder to a door about 10 toes (3.0 m) from the bottom above which was a machicolated (slotted) platform which allowed for downward fireplace on attackers. The flat roof or terreplein had a excessive parapet and a raised platform within the centre with a pivot (generally a transformed cannon) for a cannon that may traverse a 360° arc. (Some towers had been designed to hold multiple gun, with every having a extra restricted arc of fireplace.) The partitions had slender slits for defensive musket fireplace.

The inside of a basic British Martello tower consisted of two storeys (generally with a further basement). The bottom ground served because the magazine and storerooms, the place ammunition, water, shops and provisions had been saved. The garrison of 24 males and one officer lived in a casemate on the primary ground, which was divided into a number of rooms and had fireplaces constructed into the partitions for cooking and heating.^[6] The officer and males lived in separate rooms of just about equal measurement. A properly or cistern throughout the fort equipped the garrison with water. An inside drainage system linked to the roof enabled rainwater to refill the cistern.^[6]

Martello towers around the globe[edit]

Throughout the first half of the nineteenth century, the British authorities launched into a large-scale programme of constructing Martello towers to protect the British and Irish coastlines. Round 140 had been constructed, largely alongside the south coast of England. Governments in Australia, Canada, Menorca, South Africa and Sri Lanka additionally constructed towers. The development of Martello towers overseas continued till as late because the 1870s however was discontinued after it grew to become clear that they might not face up to the brand new era of rifled artillery weapons.

The French constructed comparable towers alongside their very own shoreline that they used as platforms for communication by optical telegraphs (utilizing the Chappe Telegraph). The United States authorities additionally constructed a variety of Martello towers alongside the east coast of the US that copied the British design with some modifications.

United Kingdom of Nice Britain and Eire[edit]

Nice Britain and Eire had been united as a single political entity, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1801 to 1922, spanning the time throughout which most Martello towers had been erected (the preliminary scheme began below the earlier entities of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland). Consequently, the Martello towers of Nice Britain and Eire might be thought of to have been a part of a single defensive system, designed to guard the coastlines of the 2 major islands of the British Isles as an entire.^[7][8]

That is most clearly seen on the south and east coasts of England and the east coast of Ireland, the place chains of Martello towers had been constructed. Elsewhere on this planet, particular person Martello towers had been erected to supply level defence of strategic areas.

England[edit]

Between 1804 and 1812 the British authorities constructed a series of towers based mostly on the unique Mortella tower to defend the south and east coast of England, Eire, Jersey and Guernsey to protect towards possible invasion from France, then below the rule of Napoleon I. A complete of 103^[5] Martello towers had been inbuilt England, set at common intervals alongside the coast from Seaford, Sussex, to Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Most had been constructed below the path of Common William Twiss (1745–1827) and a Captain Ford.^[9][10] The northernmost tower at Aldeburgh is of quatrefoil design, i.e. 4 in a single.^[11] and there are two towers at Clacton-on-Sea, one close to the city and the opposite to the west close to the native Golf Course (see the photographs on the suitable).

Included within the scheme had been three a lot bigger round forts or redoubts that had been constructed at Harwich, Dymchurch and Eastbourne; they acted as provide depots for the smaller towers in addition to being highly effective fortifications in their very own proper.^[12]

The effectiveness of Britain’s Martello towers was by no means really examined in fight towards a Napoleonic invasion fleet. They had been, nonetheless, efficient in hindering smuggling.^[13] After the menace had handed, the Martello towers in England met a wide range of fates. The Coastguard took over many to assist within the combat towards smuggling.

Fifteen towers had been demolished to allow the re-use of their masonry. The ocean washed thirty away and the army destroyed 4 in experiments to check the effectiveness of the brand new rifled artillery. Throughout the Second World War, some Martello towers returned to army service as commentary platforms and firing platforms for anti-aircraft artillery.

Forty-seven Martello towers have survived in England, a couple of of which have been restored and remodeled into museums (e.g., the towers at St Osyth and Seaford), customer centres, and galleries (reminiscent of Jaywick Martello Tower). Some are privately owned or are non-public residences,^[14] The rest are derelict. A survey of the East Coast towers in 2007 discovered of the 17 remaining, most had been in an inexpensive situation.^[15]

Many remaining Martello Towers are actually Listed Buildings.^[16]

A fuller checklist of British towers, with pictures, is on the market.^[17]

Scotland[edit]

Three Martello towers had been inbuilt Scotland, the primary on offshore rocks going through the Firth of Forth in 1807–1809 to defend Leith Harbour. The Tally Toor now lies land-locked throughout the japanese breakwater.^[18][19]

Two towers had been then constructed at Hackness and Crockness, close to Longhope in Orkney. They had been constructed between 1813 and 1815 to protect towards the specter of French and American raiders attacking convoys assembling offshore. Historic Scotland now operates the Hackness tower as a museum.^[20]

Wales[edit]

A small variety of Martello towers had been additionally inbuilt Wales, of which few survive. Probably the most notable surviving towers are the 2 positioned in Pembroke Dock, which had been constructed between 1848 and 1857 to guard the naval base there. As we speak, one of many towers is privately owned. The opposite is positioned in town’s riverfront, subsequent to the outdated entrance of the naval base. It was transformed right into a small museum that targeted on the native historical past of the dock and its defences. The museum has now shut down due to water inflow. Lately^[timeframe?] Pembrokeshire County Council has determined to place the tower up on the market.^{[21][failed verification]}

Eire[edit]

About fifty Martello towers had been constructed across the Irish shoreline, particularly alongside the east coast, from Millmount (Drogheda), to Bray, round Dublin Bay (29 installations) but additionally round Cork Harbour on the south coast. On the east coast, concentrated primarily round Dublin Bay, twenty-six towers had been in line of sight of one another, offering the flexibility to speak with each other, or warn of any incoming assaults.

Presumably probably the most well-known is the Martello tower in Sandycove, close to Dún Laoghaire, wherein James Joyce lived for a couple of days. Joyce shared the tower with Oliver St. John Gogarty, then a medical scholar however later to turn out to be well-known in Irish historical past as a surgeon, politician and author. In Ulysses, the fictional character Stephen Dedalus lives within the tower with a medical scholar, Malachi “Buck” Mulligan, whom Joyce based mostly on Gogarty. The James Joyce Tower, because the tower is now recognized, homes a museum devoted to Joyce.

Quite a few different Martello towers are extant close by at Bullock Harbour, Dalkey Island, Williamstown, Seapoint and Sandymount and Martello towers function in lots of literary works set in Dublin. Throughout the Nineteen Eighties, Bono owned the Martello tower in Bray, County Wicklow.

Martello Tower South No.7, on Tara Hill, Killiney Bay, is exclusive, as is its location as an enfilading tower. The Tower is privately owned and has been totally restored, to incorporate a proofed, working King George third Blomefield 18-pounder cannon mounted on a traversing carriage on the crown of the Tower. There’s a three-gun battery beneath the tower, with a glacis. There may be additionally a coach home, artillery retailer, instrument shed, and gunner’s cottage, with resident gunner and gunpowder retailer. The battery, whereas restored, stays to be armed and the coach home and artillery retailer nonetheless require some restoration.^{[22][self-published source?]}

On the north facet of Dublin, one can discover Martello towers in Balbriggan, Shenick Island and Crimson Island at Skerries, Drumanagh Fort, Rush, Tower Bay in Portrane, Donabate, Malahide (Hicks tower owned by Tony Quinn), Portmarnock, Ireland’s Eye, Howth, and Sutton.^[23][24]

There have been seven Martello towers within the neighborhood of Cork Harbour of which 5 are extant.^[25] Throughout the nineteenth century Fenian uprising, the well-known Captain Mackey briefly captured and held the Monning Martello tower close to Fota Island in Cork Harbour; this tower is believed to have been the one Martello tower ever captured, apart from the unique. The opposite Cork Harbour towers are at Ringaskiddy, Haulbowline Island (now a part of the Irish Naval Service HQ) and at Belvelly and Rossleague on the Great Island (close to Cobh). There are additionally Martello towers at Little Island and Rostellan, although these are now not intact.

The British constructed two Martello towers on the Hook Peninsula to guard the fort close to Duncannon, County Wexford and the doorway to Waterford Harbour. There’s a third tower on the headland at Baginbun Bay in County Wexford.

One of the attention-grabbing Martello towers is Meelick Martello Tower at Clonahenoge, County Offaly, guarding the Shannon river crossing to Meelick, County Galway. As this tower helps three weapons (in contrast to the traditional Martello tower which is round on plan and carries just one gun), it’s cam formed on plan. At present a rampant development of ivy covers the tower.^[26]

The tower at Seapoint, County Dublin, which was the property of Blackrock City District Council, was previously the clubhouse of the Seapoint Boat Membership from 1916 to 1931,^{[27][not specific enough to verify]} and was subsequently the headquarters of the Genealogical Society of Ireland (GSI).^[28] The GSI vacated the tower when it discovered that the environment was not conducive to the preservation of data.

The restored tower at Ilnacullin is a function of an island backyard in Glengarriff, County Cork. A number of different towers are nonetheless extant, together with one at Rathmullan in County Donegal and two in County Clare on the south coast of Galway Bay within the townlands of Finavarra and Aughinish. There may be additionally an extant Martello tower positioned close to the settlement of Magilligan Point in County Londonderry, constructed between 1812 and 1871 to defend towards a attainable French invasion through the Napoleonic Wars; it’s now a customer attraction.^[29]

A Martello-like tower was constructed on Achill Island, based on native reminiscence through the Napoleonic Wars. It’s sq. relatively than spherical, in contrast to the normal Martello tower. This tower is thought domestically because the Gabhla Fhranca (“French Tower”) or the Napoleonic Tower. It’s marked on an 1838 Ordnance Survey chart and denoted “Sign Tower”, suggesting it was used with a collection of different stations for communication. The tower’s place affords a view of the ocean each to the north and south of the island and is subsequently well-suited for that goal. By the 1830s the tower was described as a “watch-house of the coast-guard.”

Elsewhere[edit]

Antigua and Barbuda[edit]

The British initially constructed River Fort Martello Tower within the early nineteenth century, on the positioning of a earlier fort (presumed to have been constructed by the Spanish) to protect close by River Touchdown, which was Barbuda‘s unique quay. Confusion with the earlier fort presumably explains the claims made in Barbudan tourism publications that this was the World’s first, and is its oldest, Martello tower, inbuilt 1745.^[30] The tower is positioned on the south coast of the island, a mile or so from River Touchdown and a few seven miles south of the island’s major village of Codrington. The tower is 56 toes excessive, has a raised gun platform and very thick partitions, however is lacking the flooring. It the primary such tower constructed within the Caribbean, was inbuilt 1745 by Sir William Codrington, and was designed by Commodore Charles Knowles RN, later Admiral Sir Charles Knowles Bt, who was then commanding the Leeward Islands station.^[31]

It’s hooked up to what stays of the pre-existing fort. The tower mounted three cannon, and in all of the fort mounted ten cannons, none of which stay. The tower is the best constructing on Barbuda and serves as a daymark from land or sea. As we speak the fort is a well-liked location for weddings.

Australia[edit]

The final Martello tower constructed within the British Empire is alleged^{[weasel words]} to be that which composes part of the bigger Fort Denison, constructed on a small island, Pinchgut Island, in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales. It’s the solely Martello tower to have been inbuilt Australia.

Fortification of the island started in 1841 however was not accomplished. The development had begun following an 1839 night-time incursion into Sydney Harbour by two American warships. Concern with the specter of international assault had prompted the federal government to evaluation the harbour’s internal defences, which had been discovered to be insufficient, and the institution of a fort was really helpful to assist defend Sydney Harbour from assault by international vessels. Development resumed in 1855 to supply Sydney with safety towards the specter of a naval assault by the Russians through the Crimean War of the 1850s. Nonetheless, development was accomplished solely in 1857, properly after the conflict had ended. Fort Denison is properly preserved and is now a preferred vacationer attraction.

Bermuda[edit]

There’s a Martello tower positioned at Ferry Reach in St George’s Parish. The tower is the third fortification on the positioning.^[32] Main Thomas Blanshard constructed it of Bermuda limestone between 1822 and 1823. The tower reveals the impact of thirty years of evolution on the design of coastal fortifications, between the 1790s and 1822. The sooner Ferry Island Fort close by had a number of weapons arrayed to cowl the water westward, whereas the Martello tower used a single gun with 360° traverse to cowl all the surrounding space.

Like its predecessors within the UK, it has an ovoid footprint with the thickness of its partitions starting from 9 to 11 toes. It’s surrounded by a dry moat. The tower’s goal was to defend the Ferry Attain Channel and so impede any assault on St. George’s Island from the primary island of Bermuda, and attacking vessels from slipping by Castle Harbour and the channel between Ferry Attain and Coney Island. The principle channel by which vessels attain most components of Bermuda west of St. George’s, together with the Royal Naval Dockyard, on Ireland, the Great Sound, Hamilton Harbour, The Flatts, Murray’s Anchorage, and different essential websites, carries them across the east ends of St. David’s and St. George’s Islands, the place the coastal artillery was at all times most closely concentrated. Two extra Martello towers to guard the Dockyard had been deliberate, however by no means constructed.

The tower was restored in 2008 and an 18-pounder cannon introduced from Fort St. Catherine was mounted on high. The location is open to the general public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday in the summertime and within the winter by appointment solely, by calling the Parks Division. It’s a part of the Bermuda Railway Path.

British Virgin Islands[edit]

When the British rebuilt Fort Recovery on the west finish of Tortola they added a Martello tower.

Canada[edit]

9 of the fourteen Martello towers inbuilt Canada nonetheless survive.^[33] (As well as, the present fortifications at Fort Henry obtained two skinny towers between 1845 and 1848. Nonetheless, these are dry ditch defence towers, relatively than true Martello towers.) A standard attribute of Canadian Martello towers was detachable cone-shaped roofs to guard towards snow. As we speak, most of the restored towers have everlasting roof additions – for ease of maintenance, not historic accuracy.

Quebec City initially had 4 Martello towers. Tower No. 1 stands on the Plains of Abraham, overlooking the St Lawrence River. It has been restored as a museum and might be visited through the summer season months. Tower no. 2 stands shut close by and presently hosts actions for personal teams. Tower No. 3 was demolished in 1905 after getting used as a residence. The McKenzie Memorial Building of Jeffery Hale Hospital now occupies the positioning. The fourth surviving Martello Tower in Quebec, No. 4, is positioned in a residential space on the north facet of the Higher Metropolis overlooking Decrease City. It’s now used as an escape sport vacationer exercise by The Nationwide Battlefields Fee.^[34]

Halifax, Nova Scotia, had 5 towers, the oldest of which, the Prince of Wales Tower^[35] positioned in Point Pleasant Park, is the oldest Martello-style tower in North America. It was inbuilt 1796 and was used as a redoubt and a powder journal. Restored, it’s now a Nationwide Heritage web site. The Duke of York Martello Tower^[36] was inbuilt 1798 at York Redoubt. Its decrease stage nonetheless stands, although it has been boarded up for conservation functions. The Duke of Clarence Martello Tower^[37] stood on the Dartmouth shore. Sherbrooke Martello Tower^[38] stood reverse York Redoubt on McNabs Island; it was demolished in 1944 and changed by a concrete lighthouse at Maughers Seashore. One other Martello tower stood on Georges Island.

4 Martello towers had been constructed at Kingston, Ontario to defend its harbour and naval shipyards in response to the Oregon Crisis. Their builders meant for the towers to function redoubts towards marine assaults. Murney Tower and the tower at Level Frederick (on the Royal Military College of Canada) are actually museums which might be open through the summer season.

Fort Frederick has probably the most elaborate defences because it contains earthen ramparts and a limestone curtain wall. The Shoal Tower, the one tower fully surrounded by water, stands in Kingston’s Confederation Basin. Since 2005, it’s open to the general public as a part of Doors Open Ontario for someday solely in June every year. Cathcart Tower, the fourth tower, stands unused on Cedar Island close to Level Henry.

Carleton Martello Tower, overlooking the harbour of Saint John, New Brunswick, is now a museum and a National Historic Site.

The Canadian Press reported on 16 April 2006 that the Canadian army has named a Ahead Working Base (FOB) in Afghanistan FOB Martello. The brand of the International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum in Kingston, Ontario, incorporates a Martello tower. Because the amalgamation of the Township of Kingston in 2000, the town’s flag has additionally borne a Martello tower.^[39]

Guernsey[edit]

There are three comparable Martello towers in Guernsey, all inbuilt 1804: Fort Grey, Fort Hommet and Fort Saumarez.^[40]

As well as, there are a variety of earlier towers in Guernsey (the Guernsey loophole towers), that many individuals check with as Martello towers, although they don’t seem to be Martellos. They had been constructed within the late 18th century, i.e., earlier than the Martellos, and differ from them in a variety of methods. One could consider them as precursors,^[8] just like the Genoese towers they resemble.

Lastly, Bréhon Tower, inbuilt 1856, is an oval tower that represents the ultimate evolution of the Martello tower.^[41]

India[edit]

Though European in origin, a primitive type of Martello tower had existed in Punjab by the point it was conquered by the East India Company.^[42] There’s a Martello Tower that the Portuguese constructed on the southern tip of the island the place the Arnala fort stands. The Portuguese are mentioned to have constructed many of those towers, however Arnala’s is the perfect surviving specimen.^[43] After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the British erected Martello towers on the British Residency in Hyderabad, which had been demolished in 1954.^[44] An earlier instance of such is the one present in Pakur, a city within the state of Jharakhand. This tower was inbuilt 1856 by Sub District Officer Sir Martin with view to guard the British Raj from the Santhals. It was an essential place for the British forces watching combating the rise up of the Santhals.^[45] This instance is reported^{[by whom?]} to nonetheless be in good situation, however decaying attributable to an absence of upkeep.

Indonesia[edit]

The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa prompted a tsunami that broken Menara Martello, which the Dutch colonial authorities of the East Indies inbuilt 1850 on Bidadari Island (Pulau Bidadari), one of many Thousand Islands (Kepulauan Seribu), as a part of a set of fortifications constructed between 1850 and 1852 that protected the approaches to Batavia. Images counsel that Martello Menara was not a real Martello, however relatively a round fort. The tower was operational till 1878, when it grew to become a storage web site, and was deserted in 1908. Bidadari Island was also called Pulau Sakit (Sick Island) because it housed a leper colony through the seventeenth century. Extra just lately, the island got here to be known as “Angel Island”, to honour the leprosarium that had been there.

Different towers had been constructed at Onrust, Kuiper (Cipir), and Kerkhof (Kelor) islands. All 4 had been demolished partly or in complete after the arrival of rifled weapons made them out of date.

Italy[edit]

Firstly of the nineteenth century, through the British “Protectorate” of Sicily after the escape of the Bourbons from Naples, Sicily started to construct towers to withstand an invasion by Napoleon’s armies led by Joachim Murat. The brand new greater price of fireplace of ships’ weapons led to the selection of the Martello tower because the mannequin.

The Sicilian Martello towers had been constructed round 1810. The estimate rests on the historic context and on the descriptions of the topographer W.H. Smyth, who carried out his analysis in 1814 and 1815.
Of the seven towers inbuilt Sicily, solely 4 stay. One is the Mazzone Tower (or the British Fort) at Faro Level, Messina. The second is the Magnisi tower at Priolo Gargallo, Syracuse. The Italian Navy used this tower as an commentary submit through the Second World Struggle. Third is the Cariddi tower at Ganzirri in Messina. Lastly, the fourth tower is located on a rocky outcrop overlooking the ocean from the place it could actually defend the Castello Maniace in Syracuse.^{[citation needed]}

Jamaica[edit]

There’s a Martello tower positioned at what was Fort Nugent. In 1709, the Spanish slave agent in Jamaica, James Castillo, constructed a fort in Harbour View, to protect his dwelling towards assault. An English Governor, George Nugent, later strengthened the fort to protect the japanese entrance of the town of Kingston Harbour. The tower was most likely constructed between 1808 and 1811,^[8] at a reported price of £12,000.

Jersey[edit]

The British constructed eight true Martello towers in Jersey, three between 1808 and 1814, and 5 between 1834 and 1837, certainly one of which, L’Etacq, the German occupation forces destroyed throughout World Struggle II. The three unique towers are:^[8]

The 4 surviving, later towers are:^[8]

As well as, there are a variety of towers in Jersey (the Jersey Round Towers), which might be regularly known as Martello towers, although they don’t seem to be Martellos. They had been constructed within the late 18th century, i.e., earlier than the Martellos, and differ from them in a variety of methods. One could consider them as precursors,^[8] just like the Genoese towers they resemble.

Malta[edit]

The British by no means constructed any true Martello Towers in Malta. Nonetheless, Madliena Tower, which was certainly one of 13 De Redin towers inbuilt Malta in 1658–1659, started for use as if it was a Martello Tower and it’s generally thought of as such. Varied modifications had been made, together with mounting a 64-pound rifled muzzle loading (RML) gun on the roof for coastal defence. From the late nineteenth century onwards it defended a part of the Victoria Lines. The tower remained in use till World Struggle II. It nonetheless stands at this time, regardless of having some minor modifications to its unique construction, and it was just lately restored.^[47]

Mauritius[edit]

The British constructed 5 Martello Towers between 1832 and 1835 at Grand River North West (2), Black River (2), and Port Louis (1), of which three survive.
One tower, named Cunningham Tower after Lieutenant-Colonel Cunningham, the commanding Royal Engineer, was constructed as a part of Fort George on the northern facet of the doorway to Port Louis harbour. Two towers had been constructed at Grand River North West; on the south-west facet of the river bay the tower was constructed at Pointe aux Sables while Fort Victoria was constructed overlaying the north-eastern flank. The remaining two had been constructed to assist present batteries, which had been additionally improved, on the mouth of the Black River; one to the north at La Preneuse and the opposite south of Grande-Rivière-Noire at Batterie de l’Harmonie. Cunningham Tower disappeared after 1914.^[48] The Tower at Fort Victoria was final talked about in 1880. In 1865, the Mauritius Almanac and Civil Service Register listed “Two Artillery Males, at 1s every per diem”, for the towers at Fort George and Grand River.^[49] The Buddies of the Atmosphere have restored one Martello tower close to the La Preneuse public seaside, within the Rive Noire/Black River district. The Buddies function it as a museum for guests. The unique entrance to the tower is raised above floor however a brand new entrance has been constructed at floor stage. The opposite tower in Rive Noire/Black River district [L’Harmonie] nonetheless exists however has remained uncared for for a few years. The opposite present tower is at Pointe aux Sables, Grand River North West.

Sierra Leone[edit]

A Martello tower was constructed on Tower Hill at Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1805 to defend the port from assaults by the Temne people. It was considerably modified in 1870 when it was truncated to permit the set up of a water tank to produce Authorities Home (Fort Thornton) with water. The tower has now been integrated into Sierra Leone’s Parliament Buildings.^[50]

South Africa[edit]

The British constructed three Martello towers in South Africa, one at Simon’s Town Naval base close to Cape Town, one at Cape City, and the third at Fort Beaufort. The tower at Simon’s City and Cape City had been each inbuilt 1795. The tower at Cape City was demolished over 100 years in the past, however the tower at Simon’s City now’s generally claimed because the oldest Martello on this planet. It’s debatable as as to whether one ought to correctly name it a Martello Tower.^[51]

That mentioned, Vice Admiral George Elphinstone, who commanded the power that captured the colony after which served briefly as its governor, had served with the Mediterranean fleet off Corsica in 1794.^[5] The British constructed the tower at Fort Beaufort in 1837, and it’s most likely the one instance of an inland Martello tower.

Spain[edit]

Over the last interval of British occupation (1798–1802) of Menorca, Sir Charles Stuart, the then British governor, ordered Engineer Captain Robert D’Arcy to construct some 12 Martello towers alongside the coast.^[5] These, when added to the three Spanish towers already in place, gave Menorca 15 towers.^[52]

The British constructed 5 towers to guard Mahón: Phillipet on Lazareto Island, Cala Taulera (St. Clair) and Los Freus (Erskine) on the peninsula of La Mola, Stuart’s Tower, and a tower on the Punta de Sant Carlos, which the Spanish destroyed once they took regained possession of Menorca. To the northwest of Mahón the British constructed two extra towers, Sa Torreta and Sa Mezquita.

One tower, the Princess Tower, or the Erskine Tower, was integrated into the Fortress of Isabel II, constructed between 1850 and 1875. The tower was transformed to a powder journal, which led to its destruction in 1958, when lightning struck the tower. The explosion destroyed the tower, blowing out giant sections of its partitions.

The British erected Stuart’s Tower in 1798 on Turks Hill or Hangman’s Hill to the south of the port of Mahón at San Esteban or Saint Stephen’s bay on the southern facet of the Fortress of San Felipe. In 1756 and once more in 1781, batteries on the hill had supported profitable assaults on the Fortress. The tower was constructed each to safe the hill and defend the doorway to the bay. The tower’s title was later modified to Torre d’en Penjat, or Hangman’s Tower.

To guard the harbor of Fornells, the British constructed a tower on the rocky headland overlooking the harbor’s mouth, and a small tower on the island of Sargantana. They complemented these two towers with two extra small towers close by, one at Sa Nitsa and one at Addaya.

Lastly, the British constructed one tower at Santandria to guard the outdated capital of Ciutadella.

Along with the 12 towers that they constructed, the British made use of three towers that the Spanish had constructed earlier.^[52] In 1781, Captain Francisco Fernandez de Angulo had constructed towers south of Port Mahon at Punta Prima and Alcufar, based mostly on the design of those who the Spanish had inbuilt Gando, Gran Canaria, in 1740. At Ciutadella the British used the St. Nicholas’s Tower, inbuilt 1690. The Treaty of Amiens returned Menorca to Spain in 1802. Round 1804, the Spanish constructed a tower at Punta Na Radona to guard the seaside at Son Bou, Menorca. In 1808, Captain Lord Cochrane, commanding the 38-gun fifth-rate frigate HMS Imperieuse, despatched ashore a touchdown celebration that destroyed the unarmed tower. (Frederick Marryat, later a naval captain and creator, was serving as a midshipman aboard Imperieuse on the time.)
(This fort has 17 partitions.)

There are additionally 4 towers on the island of Formentera,^[53] and one on the close by island of S’Empalmador (38°47′5.28″N 1°25′5.01″E / 38.7848000°N 1.4180583°E / 38.7848000; 1.4180583).

One other tower was erected by English troops stationed within the fortress of Cartagena, through the Peninsular War. The tower was erected within the middle of 1799 fort, in mount St. Julian, dominating port and mouth. In the summertime of 1812 English engineers destroyed the fort and erected a tower:

… the British are engaged on opening a path from the east coast to the submit on Mount St. Julian, the place they attempt to construct a six-piece battery held in a tower 24 toes in diameter.

— Report by Second Lieutenant Navarro, March 10, 1813.

Is decreased to a well-built coast tower, however solely mounts and is able to a rotating gun … The tower accommodates two flooring and the platform. The bottom ground is for the warehouse and spare half. The principle one for lodging, and on this one is the door for ladder of hand, and two spans that, apart from serving for air flow, are organized to obtain small caliber weapons … The platform mounts a rotating gun and has a small bench for the fireplace of rifle. Beneath the decrease ground there’s a cistern.

— Plano de la plaza de Cartagena, Tebar, Echevarria, Pajares, 1855

The later constructions that gave rise to the current fortress of San Julián remains to be in good situation^[54] and is used as a base for phone aerials and antennas. The inside, which is simply accessible to technicians, is supposedly properly preserved.

Saint Helena[edit]

There’s a Martello tower at Saint Helena that was integrated into High Knoll Fort. The tower was very comparable in design to the tower at Simon’s City, with a diameter of about 45 ft (14 m) and a top of roughly 20 ft (6.1 m).^[8]

Sri Lanka[edit]

Sri Lanka has one Martello tower, positioned at Hambantota on the south coast, which was restored in 1999.^[55] This tower could have been concerned in repelling a French assault although there may be nothing greater than circumstantial assist for the notion. British engineers commenced work on three towers to guard Trincomalee however by no means accomplished them.^[8]

United States[edit]

The United States authorities constructed a number of Martello towers at areas alongside the japanese seaboard. Two are at Key West, Florida; others had been constructed on the harbours of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Charleston, South Carolina and New York City. Two extra Martello towers stood at Tybee Island, Georgia and Bayou Dupre, Louisiana.^[56]

Though the Individuals copied the design from the towers the British erected in Canada, the American Martello towers differed in some vital respects from the British. The Martello tower constructed at Tybee Island, Georgia was constructed round 1815 using wooden and tabby, a standard native constructing materials on the time, as a substitute of the brick or stone that the British towers used. Additionally, in contrast to the British towers, the Tybee tower featured gun loops on the garrison ground that enabled muskets to be fired by the partitions.^[6] It was by no means examined in battle and by the point of the American Civil War was in a state of disrepair. Its unfamiliar design confused native writers, who typically mentioned that the Spanish had constructed the tower when Georgia was Spain’s colony.^[6]

The Key West towers, although the locals check with them as Martellos, had been sq. as a substitute of spherical and had skinny partitions with lengthy gun loops. As well as, a curtain wall of heavy weapons encircled the Key West towers making them, successfully, retains as a substitute of standalone towers.

A Martello tower figures within the arms of the 41st Infantry Regiment of the United States Army.^[57]

Record of Martello towers exterior Nice Britain[edit]

Nation	Location	Tower title	Constructed	Present standing
Australia	Sydney	Fort Denison	1856	Museum, harbour mild station.
Barbuda	Close to Palmetto Point	River Fort Martello Tower
Bermuda	Ferry Reach		1823–1828	Might be visited
British Virgin Islands	Tortola	Fort Recovery		Non-public (lodge)
Canada	Point Pleasant Park, Nova Scotia	Prince of Wales’s Tower	1796	Open to public
Canada	Halifax, Nova Scotia	Duke of York’s Tower	c.1798	Decrease ranges nonetheless exist. Web site partially boarded off, might be visited
Canada	Halifax, Nova Scotia	Duke of Clarence’s Tower	c.1798	Demolished previous to 1900
Canada	Kingston, Ontario	Fort Frederick	1846/7	Museum
Canada	Kingston, Ontario	Murney Tower	1846	Museum
Canada	Kingston, Ontario	Shoal Tower	1846	Closed to Public
Canada	Kingston, Ontario	Cathcart Tower	1846	Closed to Public
Canada	Quebec City, Quebec	Tower #1	1808–1812	Museum
Canada	Quebec City, Quebec	Tower #2	1808–1812	Open for group actions by Nationwide Battlefields Fee
Canada	Quebec City, Quebec	Tower #3	1808–1812	Destroyed
Canada	Quebec City, Quebec	Tower #4	1808–1812	Tourist activity – Escape game
Canada	Saint John, New Brunswick	Carleton Martello Tower	1815	Museum
Croatia	Korčula	Forteca Korčula (Fort Wellington)	1813	Abandoned, accessible to hikers
India	Arnala Island	Hanumant Bastion	c. 1530s[58]	Abandoned and Dilapidated.
Ireland	Achill Island	Gabhla Fhranca	c. 1803–1815	Partially collapsed however accessible to hikers
Ireland	Aughinish	Aughinish Tower	1811	Non-public residence
Ireland	Banagher	Meelick Martello Tower		Non-public residence
Ireland	Drogheda	Millmount Fort	c. 1808	Extant
Ireland	Balbriggan	North No. 12	1804–05[59]	Extant
Ireland	Skerries, Crimson Island	North No. 11	1804–05[59]	Extant
Ireland	Skerries, Shenick Island	North No. 10	1804–05[59]	Extant
Ireland	Drumanagh	North No. 9	1804–05[59]	Extant
Ireland	Rush	North No. 8	1804–05[59]	Extant
Ireland	Portrane, Tower Bay	North No. 7	1804–05	Non-public residence
Ireland	Donabate, Balcarrick	North No. 6	1804–05[59]	Extant
Ireland	Malahide, Robswall	North No. 5, Hicks Tower[59]	1804–05[59]	Non-public residence
Ireland	Portmarnock, Carrickhill	North No. 4	1804–05[59]	Non-public residence
Ireland	Ireland’s Eye	North No. 3	1804–05[59]	Extant
Ireland	Howth, Harbour Rd.	North No. 2	1804–05[59]	Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio
Ireland	Sutton South	North No. 1	1804–05[59]	Non-public residence
Ireland	Sandymount	South No. 16	1804–05	Extant
Ireland	Williamstown	South No. 15	1804–05	Extant
Ireland	Seapoint	South No. 14	1804–05	Restored. Exhibition on the historical past of Dublin’s Martello Towers. Guided excursions through the summer season months
Ireland	Kingstown Harbour, West Pier	South No. 13	1804–05	Tower & battery, each demolished 1836 throughout extension of Dublin & Kingstown Railway
Ireland	Dún Laoghaire, web site of present-day Peoples Park	South No. 12	1804–05
Ireland	Sandycove	South No. 11, James Joyce‘s Martello tower	1804–05	James Joyce Tower and Museum
Ireland	Bulloch Harbour	South No. 10	1804–05	Non-public residence
Ireland	Dalkey Island	South No. 9	1804–05	Extant
Ireland	Killiney, south finish of Strathmore Street	South No. 8	1804–05	Web site of battery, not tower
Ireland	Killiney, Tara Hill	South No. 7	1804–05	Absolutely restored
Ireland	Killiney, seaside	South No. 6, Enoch’s Tower	1804–05	Non-public residence
Ireland	Shanganagh	South No. 5	1804–05	Web site of battery, not tower
Ireland	Shanganagh, Mahera Level	South No. 4	1804–05	Misplaced to coastal erosion
Ireland	Bray, Corke Abbey	South No. 3	1804–05	Misplaced to coastal erosion
Ireland	Bray harbour	South No. 2	1804–05[60]	Non-public residence
Ireland	Bray seaside	South No. 1	1804–05	Demolished 1884, when Esplanade constructed [60]
Ireland	Ilnacullin			Tower and gardens open to public (entry by boat from Glengarriff)
Ireland	Bere Island, Cloughland
Ireland	Bere Island, Ardagh
Ireland	Finavarra	Finavarra Tower	1816	Open to public
Ireland	Ringaskiddy, Cork Harbour
Ireland	Haulbowline Island, Cork Harbour			Museum, owned by Irish Navy
Ireland	Fota Island, Cork Harbour	Monning Tower
Ireland	Rossleague, Cobh
Ireland	Belvelly, Cobh			Non-public residence
Ireland	Lough Swilly	Macamish Tower
Ireland	Lough Foyle	Greencastle Tower		Prolonged to a Fort accomplished in 1812. Restaurant
Ireland	Lough Foyle	Magilligan Tower		Restored
Ireland	Loughshinny
Ireland	Rathmullan
Ireland	Ros a’ Mhíl
Italy	Messina	Cariddi’s Tower or Tower of Ganzirri	1810?	Closed to public
Italy		Mazzone’s Tower or Tower of British Fort	1810?
Italy	Priolo Gargallo	Torre di Magnisi	1810?	Might be visited
Italy	Syracuse	Castello Maniace	1810?	Open to public
Jamaica	Kingston	Fort Nugent	1808–11?
Liberia	Monrovia	Fort Stockton	1822	since 1822, August below development, later named as coast battery Fort Hill[61]
Malta	Madliena, Pembroke	Madliena Tower	1658	Intact, just lately restored
Mauritius	Grand River North West	Pointe aux Sables	1832–35	deserted however no fences, entrance nonetheless on second story
Mauritius	Grand River North West	Fort Victoria	1832–35	Final talked about 1880
Mauritius	Grande-Rivière-Noire	L’Harmonie	1832–35	Ruined (now a nationwide monument)
Mauritius	Black River	La Preneuse	1832–35	Museum
Mauritius	Fort George, Port Louis	Cunningham Tower	1832–35	Disappeared after 1914.
Sierra Leone	Freetown	Tower Hill Martello Tower	1805	A part of Parliament Buildings
South Africa	Fort Beaufort		1839–46
South Africa	Simon’s Town		1795/6	On the Naval Base. Homes a small museum.
South Africa	Cape Town	Craig’s Tower	1795/6	Demolished late nineteenth century
Sri Lanka	Hambantota		1801–03
Trinidad and Tobago	Port of Spain	Fort Picton	1801	Deserted by 1810.
United States	Lake Borgne, Louisiana	Tower Dupre	1830?	Hexagonal; initially constructed on shore, 150 ft (46 m) from water, close to Bayou Dupre‘s entrance to Lake Borgne; for a lot of the 20 th century was non-public fishing camp;[62] photograph at Wikimedia Commons;[63] destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina[64]
United States	Charleston, South Carolina	Fort Johnson		[65]
United States	Key West, Florida			East tower is a museum; West tower transformed to a botanical backyard; each open to the general public
United States	New York Harbor			Destroyed
United States	Portsmouth, New Hampshire	Walbach Tower	1814	Included into Fort Constitution; ruined[66]
United States	Tybee Island, Georgia		1815	It served as an workplace of the Georgia Telegraph and Phone Firm and at last because the submit workplace for Fort Screven. In 1913, the constructing was broken in a fireplace and it was lastly dismantled the next yr to clear the sphere of fireplace for the weapons of Fort Screven.[67]

See additionally[edit]

Lists:

Citations[edit]

References[edit]

• Abram, David (2003) The Tough Information to Corsica Tough Guides.
• Bolton, J., Carey, T., Goodbody, R. & Clabby, G. (2012) The Martello Towers of Dublin. (Dublin: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown & Fingal County Council).
• Brock, B.B. & Brock, B.G. (1976) Historic Simon’s City. (Cape City). ISBN 0-86961-055-4
• Ciucevich, Robert A. (2005) Tybee Island: The Lengthy Department of the South (Arcadia Publishing).
• Clements, William H. (1998) Towers of Power: Story of Martello Towers. (London: Pen & Sword). ISBN 978-0-85052-679-0.
• Daly, Gavin (2007). “English Smugglers, the Channel, and the Napoleonic Wars, 1800–1814”. Journal of British Research. 46 (1): 30–46. doi:10.1086/508397. S2CID 159902078.
• Grimsley, E.J. (1988) The Historic Improvement of the Martello Tower within the Channel Islands. (Sarnian Publications). ISBN 978-0-9513868-0-4
• Grundy, Mark (1991). “The Martello Towers of Minorca”. Fort. Fortress Study Group. 19: 22–58.
• Harris, Edward (1988). “The Martello Tower at Ferry Level, St George’s Island, Bermuda”. Mariner’s Mirror. 74 (1): 131–139. doi:10.1080/00253359.1988.10656190.
• McCall, M. (1999). “The Martello Tower in Hambantota, Sri Lanka”. Fort. Fortress Study Group. 27: 143–158.
• Mead, H.P. (1948). “The Martello Towers of England”. Mariner’s Mirror. 34 (3): 205–17 & 294–303. doi:10.1080/00253359.1948.10657527.
• Millward, J. (2007). “The East Coast Martello Towers”. Fort. Fortress Study Group. 35: 173–184.
• Rooke, Octavius (1857) The Channel islands: pictorial, legendary and descriptive.
• Saunders, Ivan J. (1976) “A Historical past of the Martello Towers within the Defence of British North America, 1796–1871”, Occasional Papers in Archaeology and Historical past #15, Nationwide Historic Parks and Websites Department, Thorn Press Restricted.
• Sutcliffe, Sheila (1973) Martello Towers. (Cranbury, NJ: Related Universities Press).
• Vigano, M. (2001) Fort (Fortress Study Group) 29.
• Ward, S.G.P. (1949). “Defence Works of Britain, 1803–1805”. Journal of the Society for Military Historic Analysis. 27: 18–37.

Exterior hyperlinks[edit]