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Towers of strength

Posted by Catherine Deshayes on Wednesday, January 21, 2009

If you are seeking that unusual property and aren't scared of a challenge, a Martello tower could be the answer to your prayers, but, fitting for a home that was built to be a fortress, you may find your new property project impenetrable...

Not many people can lay claim to owning a UK property that was built to fend off the expected invasion of the Emperor Napoleon.

But, if you take on one of the biggest conversion challenges out there, you could fulfill that property fantasy.

Lining the south and east coasts of England are what's left of the Martello Towers - 30 foot solid stone cylindrical fortresses that were built to defend the coastline.

Whilst they do have the potential to be converted into modern homes, the planning restrictions and the hostility of the curved stone design will put off all but the most dedicated buyer or developer.

The history behind Martello towers lies in Corsica. The defence system at Mortella Point has been in place since the 15^th Century, when round fortresses were built at strategic points all over the island to protect coastal villages from North African pirates.

The British were impressed and copied the design, but they mistook the name for Martello, hence the name Martello Towers.

In 1803, there were 74 south coast towers built along the Sussex and Kent coasts and, seven years later, there were 29 built along the east coast of Essex and Suffolk.

Martello makeup

Each tower has walls of up to 15-foot thick and contains more than 250,000 bricks. The tower is usually divided up into three storeys - the ground floor traditionally served as storerooms for ammunition and provisions.

The 24 men and one officer lived on the first floor and the roof was mounted with one or two cannons which could swivel 360 degrees to aim at any enemy ship coming their way - the cannons could fire a mile out to sea.

Of the 74 south coast towers, only 25 are still standing. Four were destroyed by the military when testing explosives, 15 were demolished so the stone could be re-used, and another 30 have been lost to coastal erosion.

Eight of the remaining towers are currently inhabited and ten stand derelict.

Conversion, conversion, conversion

If you do take on this most enormous of conversion projects, be prepared for some tough times ahead - it will be a true labour of love.

As the walls are so thick, making any changes to them is very challenging and planning restrictions make that even more so - you may even be limited as to what colour you can paint the interior walls.

As the towers only have two small windows and the original entrance at first floor level, the interior is very dark, and you will to get permission to put in extra windows - in itself no easy task as the walls are so hard and thick.

Many of the towers are Grade II listed, and are on English Heritage's Buildings At Risk Register, which means that no work can be carried out without prior consent.

Damp is the greatest barrier to making a tower fit for habitation, as the original roof drainage system was built inside the walls, and is subject to blockages that cause water to penetrate the masonry.

It may be easy to forget that you have a life outside this project - if you are attempting to have a meaningful relationship with anyone other than this curved stone building for the conversion duration - forget it.

One couple achieved the impossible and converted their Martello Tower on Clacton sea front in Essex into a restaurant - go and check out Tower F Restaurant at Marine Parade West in Clacton-on-Sea.

Picture by SteveFE

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