Martello tower

Martello towers are small defensive forts built by the British Empire at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. They stand about 40 feet (12m) high (with two floors) and had a garrison of one officer and 25 men. Their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them immensely 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° arc. A few were surrounded by a moat for extra defence.

Martello towers outside the UK

Martello towers were exported to many colonies of the British Empire, including South Africa (at Simon's Town Naval base near Cape Town), America, Canada, Minorca, the Channel Islands and Ireland. The construction of Martello towers abroad continued until as late as the 1860s, but was discontinued after it became clear that they could not withstand rifled artillery weapons.

Related Topics:
South Africa - Cape Town - America - Canada - Minorca - Channel Islands - Ireland - 1860s

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One Martello tower, in Mauritius, nearby the La Preneuse public beach in Tamarin, has been restored by the Friends of the Environment and operates as a museum open for visitors. The original entrance to the tower is raised above ground, and a new entrance has been constructed at ground level.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Martello towers dot the Irish coast around Dublin Bay, possibly the most famous of which is the Martello tower in Sandycove, Dun Laoghaire, in which James Joyce lived. Martello towers feature in many literary works based in the city.

Related Topics:
Dublin Bay - Sandycove - Dun Laoghaire - James Joyce

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A total of 16 Martello towers were built in Canada, of which 11 are still standing. One stands on the Plains of Abraham above Quebec City in Canada, overlooking the St Lawrence River. It has been restored as a museum and can be visited during the summer months. A second tower stands nearby, and it currently hosts an 1812 Murder Mystery Dinner. The third tower in Quebec was demolished in the 1900s after being used as a residence, and the fourth surviving Martello Tower in Quebec is located on the North side of the Upper City. No less than six were built at Kingston, Ontario to defend its harbour and naval shipyards. Two thin towers were added to the fortifications at Fort Henry, and four were built as redoubts to defend against marine attacks. Two of Kingston's towers, Murney Tower and the tower at Point Frederick (at the Royal Military College of Canada) are maintained as museums which are open during the summer. The only Martello tower completely surrounded by water, the Shoal Tower, stands in Kingston's Confederation Basin and was opened to the public as part of Doors Open Ontario for one day only in June of 2005. The fourth, Cathcart Tower, stands unused on Cedar Island near Point Henry. Carleton Martello Tower, overlooking the harbour of Saint John, New Brunswick, is now a museum and National Historic Site. Another tower was built in Point Pleasant Park to guard the approaches to Halifax Harbour. Martello towers in Canada were built with removable cone-shaped roofs to protect against snow, and many of the restored towers now have permanent roof additions - for ease of upkeep, not historical accuracy.

Related Topics:
Plains of Abraham - Quebec City - Canada - St Lawrence River - Kingston, Ontario - Fort Henry - Murney Tower - Saint John, New Brunswick - Point Pleasant Park - Halifax Harbour

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The last Martello tower built in the British Empire is said to be that at Fort Denison, a small island in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, for the protection of Sydney against possible attack by the Russians during the Crimean War of the 1850s. It is well preserved and a popular tourist attraction.

Related Topics:
Fort Denison - Sydney Harbour - New South Wales - Sydney - Russia - Crimean War - 1850s

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~