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Origin of the Martello Tower

‘ In 1793 Corsica was in insurrection against the French, and the British Government, as a matter of policy, decided to support the insurgents. It was arranged to begin operations by taking a tower, held by the French, in a strategic position on Cape Mortella, a headland dominating the only safe anchorage in the Gulf of San Firenzo. This structure was armed with one 24 pounder and two 18 pounders. Accordingly, in September, a British squadron of three ships of the line and two frigates went to the assistance of the insurgents, and the two frigates were ordered to capture the tower. After a comparatively short bombardment it was abandoned by its little garrison and occupied by the British.  Some short time afterwards, the French recaptured it, and profiting by their experience, considerably strengthened its defences and armaments.  In the following year. 1794, a further attempt was made by the British to support the Corsican insurgents. On the 17^th February, a party of 1,400 troops was landed and a determined attack made on the tower the next day. Simultaneously with the attack by land, two ships, the Fortitude and the Juno, bombarded it for two and a half hours, without effect, and then retired, the Fortitude being on fire and having 62 men killed and wounded. The shore batteries continued the attack, but their fire was equally unsuccessful until at length red-hot balls were tried, one of which set fire to the bass junk with which the massive parapet was heavily lined, and the garrison of 33 men then surrendered. The captors were much surprised to find that the armament consisted of only three pieces – two 18 pounders and one 6 pounder. The round gun Tower had been designed so that offensive cannon fire would bounce harmlessly without breaching the walls.’(Chapter XL11 Chapters of Dublin)(Encyclopaedia Britannica(11^TH EDITION)..

 After much debate and decision, The British agreed to erect a network of similar towers around the Irish and English Coasts at locations agreed to be most vulnerable to attack.   74 Towers were built between Folkestone in Kent and Seaford, 12 miles west of Eastbourne. These are described as the South Coast towers and numbered (1-74) from east to west.  A further 29 towers were built on the East coast between Point Clear in Essex and Aldeburgh in Suffolk. They are identified by letters (A to Z, AA,BB..) from south to north.  50 Towers are known to have been built in Ireland.  

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