Clacton-on-Sea: Martello Tower F

Image: © Nigel Cox Taken: 28 Oct 2018

The east coast Martello Towers were built between 1808 and 1812. 29 were 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 OpenStreetMapping. The east coast towers are not circular in plan nor oval as might be thought from this viewpoint, but more of a triangular ovoid for want of a better term. This one is a Scheduled Monument and a Grade II Listed Building and the Historic England website describes it in particular (abridged) thus:- "Martello Tower now a Coast Guard station. Vari-coloured brick, made at Grays, Essex. 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 7 metres tall and the moat base 8 metres wide. Taking 4 years and built at a cost of approximately £5000 the situation was considered too unhealthy and the garrison was stationed at Weeley. Erosion by sea has claimed the battery." As an aside the red hot pokers Kniphofia 'Nobilis' were flowering strongly along the seafront despite it being late October.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0