Martello Tower F, Marine Parade, Clacton-on-Sea.
Martello Tower F is set within a dry moat and situated at the junction of Marine Parade West and Tower Road, overlooking the promenade and seafront to the west of Clacton Pier. Tower F is the only remaining moated example on the Essex coast, the others at Beacon Hill, St Osyth (B), Holland Haven (G) and Walton Cliffs (J) were demolished or destroyed by coastal erosion during the 19th century. Tower F has seen some significant alterations, particularly in the 20th century, but the structure remains substantially unchanged and still retains many details dating from the period of construction. The first floor entrance, to the north west, is still approached by the original cast iron footbridge which spans the ditch on three pairs of stilt-like legs. The section nearest the tower is designed as a drawbridge, capable of being raised to seal the entrance. One of the chains on the first-floor bridge remains in place, together with the slots and iron pulleys set into the head of the entrance passage. All four of the windows to this floor were framed and glazed during the 1960’s, although the apertures still retain some of the iron bars dating from 1818.
Built from vari-coloured brick, made at Grays in Essex, a stone parapet, rusticated stone dressings to 4 windows and a door at half height. Unlike the other Clacton Defence Towers this one had a moat, glacis and outer battery. The brick lined moat still survives, the wall being approximately 22ft 11in tall and the moat base 26ft 2in wide. Taking 4 years and built at a cost of approximately £5,000 the situation was considered too unhealthy and the garrison was stationed at Weeley. Erosion by sea has claimed the battery.
A timber-clad observation room, formally a coastguard lookout, stands above the forward gun embrasure, resting on a metal gantry with legs set into concrete blocks on the tower's roof. The ground floor of the tower is accessible via a modern passageway cut through the rear wall of a storage alcove on the south-west side. All the other alcoves and casemates remain largely unaltered and the lamp passage to the main magazine (on the seaward side) is particularly well preserved.
The east coast Martello Towers were built between 1808 and 1812, there were 29 built from St Osyth in Essex north-eastwards to Aldeburgh in Suffolk, and are named by Historic England in the same order from A to Z then AA to CC, so this is the sixth tower along. Just to confuse the issue the Ordnance Survey refer to this one as Tower No.6 on all their old mapping, but it's shown as No.8 on the latest Open Street Mapping. During World War One Tower F was commandeered as a Piquet Station for G Company of the 8th Battalion Essex Regiment. In the inter-war years the tower came into the hands of the local authority, and in 1931 the interior was opened as a museum. The museum was short lived as the tower was returned to military control during World War Two and thereafter leased to the Ministry of Defence. The interior remained in use by the Royal Naval Auxilliary Service (RNAS) until 1990. A children's' zoo was established around the tower in the 1970’s but closed in the late 1980's.
Martello Tower F, Marine Parade, Clacton-on-Sea.
Martello Tower F is set within a dry moat and situated at the junction of Marine Parade West and Tower Road, overlooking the promenade and seafront to the west of Clacton Pier. Tower F is the only remaining moated example on the Essex coast, the others at Beacon Hill, St Osyth (B), Holland Haven (G) and Walton Cliffs (J) were demolished or destroyed by coastal erosion during the 19th century. Tower F has seen some significant alterations, particularly in the 20th century, but the structure remains substantially unchanged and still retains many details dating from the period of construction. The first floor entrance, to the north west, is still approached by the original cast iron footbridge which spans the ditch on three pairs of stilt-like legs. The section nearest the tower is designed as a drawbridge, capable of being raised to seal the entrance. One of the chains on the first-floor bridge remains in place, together with the slots and iron pulleys set into the head of the entrance passage. All four of the windows to this floor were framed and glazed during the 1960’s, although the apertures still retain some of the iron bars dating from 1818.
Built from vari-coloured brick, made at Grays in Essex, a stone parapet, rusticated stone dressings to 4 windows and a door at half height. Unlike the other Clacton Defence Towers this one had a moat, glacis and outer battery. The brick lined moat still survives, the wall being approximately 22ft 11in tall and the moat base 26ft 2in wide. Taking 4 years and built at a cost of approximately £5,000 the situation was considered too unhealthy and the garrison was stationed at Weeley. Erosion by sea has claimed the battery.
A timber-clad observation room, formally a coastguard lookout, stands above the forward gun embrasure, resting on a metal gantry with legs set into concrete blocks on the tower's roof. The ground floor of the tower is accessible via a modern passageway cut through the rear wall of a storage alcove on the south-west side. All the other alcoves and casemates remain largely unaltered and the lamp passage to the main magazine (on the seaward side) is particularly well preserved.
The east coast Martello Towers were built between 1808 and 1812, there were 29 built from St Osyth in Essex north-eastwards to Aldeburgh in Suffolk, and are named by Historic England in the same order from A to Z then AA to CC, so this is the sixth tower along. Just to confuse the issue the Ordnance Survey refer to this one as Tower No.6 on all their old mapping, but it's shown as No.8 on the latest Open Street Mapping. During World War One Tower F was commandeered as a Piquet Station for G Company of the 8th Battalion Essex Regiment. In the inter-war years the tower came into the hands of the local authority, and in 1931 the interior was opened as a museum. The museum was short lived as the tower was returned to military control during World War Two and thereafter leased to the Ministry of Defence. The interior remained in use by the Royal Naval Auxilliary Service (RNAS) until 1990. A children's' zoo was established around the tower in the 1970’s but closed in the late 1980's.