Martello tower

Martello tower, a defensive work whose name is a corruption of that of Cape Mortella in Corsica, where a circular tower of this kind was captured only with great difficulty in 1794 by British forces supporting Corsican insurgents against the French.

With the threat to England of invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803, the duke of York, as commander in chief, recommended this type of tower for coast defense. He oversaw the construction of 74 Martello towers on the most vulnerable stretch of the English Channel coast. They ranged from 30 to 40 feet (9 to 12 meters) high, with walls 9 feet (3 meters) thick on the seaward side, and were surrounded by a deep ditch. Entry was effected by a small, rear door at the head of a 20-foot (6-meter) ladder. A platform held two howitzers and a swivel gun; a powder magazine and living quarters were below. The French built a few tours modèles of similar design, and others were built in the United States and Canada. Martello towers lost most of their value with the advent of powerful naval guns.