Martello Fort
I’m so used to seeing Martello Forts, generally known as Martello Towers, in my neck of the woods [East Kent] that I sometimes forget how widespread they were. There is one here in Felixstowe Ferry.
They are a reminder, if one is ever needed it seems, of our fear of invasion from the dastardly French across the water. But seriously, it was a real threat back when Napoleon was busy knocking off one state after the other on the Continent.
On 7 February 1794 two British warships unsuccessfully attacked the tower at Mortella Point in Corsica. The British were impressed by the effectiveness of the tower that they copied the design but got the name wrong, misspelling "Mortella" as "Martello" (which means "hammer" in Italian). Between 1804 and 1812 we built a chain of these Martello towers to defend the south and east coast of England to guard against anticipated invasion from France. Over 100 Martello towers were built in England, set at regular intervals along the coast from Seaford, Sussex, to Aldeburgh in Suffolk. This one sits strangely isolated by the mouth of the river Deben by the Ferry. It’s been converted into somebody’s home.
[Seven Martello Towers were in fact built along the shore near Felixstowe , of which four survive. Two, including this one, were built by the Deben Mouth, but I didn't notice the other one].
Martello Fort
I’m so used to seeing Martello Forts, generally known as Martello Towers, in my neck of the woods [East Kent] that I sometimes forget how widespread they were. There is one here in Felixstowe Ferry.
They are a reminder, if one is ever needed it seems, of our fear of invasion from the dastardly French across the water. But seriously, it was a real threat back when Napoleon was busy knocking off one state after the other on the Continent.
On 7 February 1794 two British warships unsuccessfully attacked the tower at Mortella Point in Corsica. The British were impressed by the effectiveness of the tower that they copied the design but got the name wrong, misspelling "Mortella" as "Martello" (which means "hammer" in Italian). Between 1804 and 1812 we built a chain of these Martello towers to defend the south and east coast of England to guard against anticipated invasion from France. Over 100 Martello towers were built in England, set at regular intervals along the coast from Seaford, Sussex, to Aldeburgh in Suffolk. This one sits strangely isolated by the mouth of the river Deben by the Ferry. It’s been converted into somebody’s home.
[Seven Martello Towers were in fact built along the shore near Felixstowe , of which four survive. Two, including this one, were built by the Deben Mouth, but I didn't notice the other one].