Seaford Martello Tower
The inspiration for Martello Towers came from a round fortress at Mortella Point in Corsica. Their shape and thick walls made them particularly resistant to cannon fire. They stand up to 12m high which made them an ideal platform for a single piece of heavy artillery that stood mounted on the flat roof, able to spin full-circle. They weren’t only built in Britain though. In fact, they were built all around the British Empire. A garrison of one officer and 25 men generally manned them. Many Martello Towers have perished and a few sit derelict, awaiting a modern use. However, many have become residences and others, like Tower 74 in Seaford, have been put to good community use.
The building of the greatest works of fortification ever undertaken in this country during peacetime was carried out by Lord Palmerston following the Royal Commission of 1860. Like the Martello Towers they were built to defend Britain against invasion from a Napoleon – this time Napoleon III, Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew. Like the Martello Towers, they were never put to the test. This is why the episode became known as “Palmerston’s Folly”.
Fort Nelson, which I wrote about last year was one of Palmerston’s Follies. Newhaven Fort, the largest work of defence ever constructed in Sussex, is another and I hope to visit it shortly.
